Lost Boy
by EdwardsMate4ever
Summary: Edward Masen is a straight guy working as a hustler, selling his body to men to pay the bills. His latest trick turns everything he thought he knew upside down... The full length story of my one-shot, GforPay. AH
1. Chapter 1

Edward Masen is a straight guy working as a hustler, selling his body to men to pay the bills. His latest trick turns everything he thought he knew upside down... The full length story of my one-shot, Gay for Pay.

A/N: This is a continuation of my one-shot 'Gay for Pay.' This first chapter is a duplication of that one-shot. The following chapters will all be fresh material. This is AH and focuses heavily on prostitution. It will contain some dub/con in some flashback scenes. Over the years, many have asked for this story to be continued, so I hope you all enjoy it. Please let me know by leaving me a review!

Lost Boy

It was an unusual autumn night in Los Angeles, the normally dry air choking me with its eighty percent humidity. I stood on my usual corner, leaning against a lamppost, dragging on my Marlboro. It was bent at an odd angle from shoving the pack carelessly into my back pocket, and the smoke was getting in my eyes. I couldn't bring myself to care. Due to the heat tonight, I was dressed in my lightest ensemble—a pair of cut-off denim shorts with strategically ripped holes—one under my left ass cheek, and one dangerously close to my crotch, offering a glimpse of what my tricks would be paying for. A tight white sleeveless T-shirt—two sizes too small—hugged my lean chest, making my muscles appear larger than they actually were. This outfit never failed me; I was sure to get at least one trick tonight, hopefully more.

I wasn't a gigolo; I wasn't dressed to pick up women. I was a hustler. Although I didn't consider myself gay, I sold my body to men. Men were willing to pay more than women, my friend Emmett had told me. Plus, men come back for more. Emmett was a hustler, too. We'd met when I first arrived in L.A., about a year ago now. I was a fuck-up in school—I'd been kicked out of public school for pulling pranks, then private school, then Catholic school, and finally boarding school. My parents gave up on me and kicked me out—guess getting suspended from Clark Academy was the last straw. I stole enough money from my dad's wallet to make it to the city, but with no prospects and no more cash, I found myself stranded on the street, huddled in an alleyway next to a dumpster, at a loss for what to do next.

That's when Emmett found me. He took pity on me and took me to his apartment. Up until that point, I'd say my life was like a movie. But then, it veered off from the usual Hollywood formula. After I'd cleaned myself up, Emmett noted that I was pretty good-looking, and he introduced me to his way of life—hustling. He taught me where to find the best tricks, and the hottest techniques—the kind that might get you a tip for blowing their mind.

I was understandably nervous, never having been with, or even _thought about,_ being with a guy before. One night, Emmett deemed me ready to try out what I'd learned, and he boozed me up before demanding a blow job. Shutting my eyes tight, I went in for the kill. I made quick work of him, but he freakin' loved it. _I'd pay a hundo for that shit_, he'd said, and I couldn't help but feel really proud of myself for the first time in a long time. For a while, that was all I offered to my tricks—blow jobs only. Or they could blow me, which I was surprised to find out that there was a market for.

But blow jobs alone only earned so much. Emmett and I were having a tough time making rent. It was time for me to graduate. Emmett told me how to prepare myself, and gifted me with a pretty large dildo to practice with. But nothing could prepare me for the real thing. Memories of the first night I let a guy fuck me sent my heart racing—I never wanted to relive that pain again. But the experience taught me some valuable lessons, and every night after, I was ready for what was in store. Sometimes, if the trick wasn't too rough, it even felt good. Because of the prostate, Emmett had explained. Like a dude's g-spot. The side effect of possible physical pleasure made what I was doing just slightly bearable.

My tricks always seemed ready to just drop trow and fuck me. No foreplay or anything, but what could I expect? They didn't care about me; they just wanted to get their rocks off. I learned this after that first horrible experience, so after that, I always prepared myself extra carefully before taking up on my corner. A nice open hole, wet and ready for the next cock to invade.

The types of guys that picked up hustlers were pretty nasty in general. The ugly gay dudes that can't get a date. The Neanderthal closeted married guys who took out their anger on your ass. Usually, I just closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as I tried to think of anything other than what they were doing to me. Of course, I insisted on using condoms. And I never kissed on the mouth. A shower afterwards was a necessity to make me feel less filthy after some of my encounters. Especially in the seedier motels. I swear, it's like they never cleaned those fucking rooms.

Stubbing out the end of my cigarette with the toe of my sandal (easy on, easy off), I turned my weary gaze up the street. On the opposite corner, Garrett was getting into a beat-up old Volkswagen. The trick inside looked like he was ninety. I shuddered, glad it was Garrett and not me that had caught his eye. There was nothing worse than trying to get hard for a saggy old man with a wrinkly ass and a shriveled dick.

My view of Garrett was blocked as a flashy sports car rolled up to my corner. The windows were tinted, so I couldn't be sure if this person was just pulling over for a minute, or if they wanted to pick me up. Well, I might as well try—with a car like this, the driver definitely had money to blow on me, no pun intended. I could probably even jack up my price.

Plastering a smile on my face, I sauntered over to the car and leaned a forearm on the doorframe, knocking gently on the passenger side window. I stared at my reflection while I waited—my green eyes shone in the lamp light, my coppery hair slightly mussed. I looked hot.

After a moment, the window rolled down. I was taken aback as I leaned forward and crystal-clear blue eyes met mine. This guy was young and extremely well-groomed; he wore a suit, and his blond hair was combed neatly. He looked like a professional dude—a doctor, or a lawyer maybe.

Jackpot. This would be easy—it always was better when a guy was actually attractive.

"Looking for a date?" I asked, maybe a little too hopefully.

His face remained expressionless, and when he spoke, his voice was cool and controlled.

"As a matter of fact, I am. How much?"

"Depends on what you want. Fifty for a blowjob. One fifty to fuck me."

"Get in."

I heard the lock click open and unceremoniously stuffed myself into the car before he could change his mind. He gave me a slight smile before turning his attention back to the road and peeling off.

The ride was filled with an awkward silence. The guy seemed agitated—I would catch him glancing nervously at me out of the corner of my eye. After ten minutes of this, I decided to break the ice. "Is everything all right?"

He nodded, licking his lips, staring straight ahead. "Yeah, it's fine. Just got some bad news today."

"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that," I replied in my best seductive tone. Sliding my hand over his thigh, he jumped at my sudden touch. "But don't worry, I'll help you forget."

He let out a huff with the breath he'd been holding, but didn't respond. I left my hand where it was, however, giving his thigh a squeeze from time to time. He didn't want to talk, and that was okay. I was pretty used to that.

Soon, we were pulling up to a nice hotel. It wasn't super fancy—a Marriott, not a Ritz—but it was a lot nicer than the hotels I was used to going to. But this guy looked like he had a lot of money, so why _wasn't_ he staying at the Ritz?

"I was expecting someplace fancier," I said as we got out of the car and the man handed his keys to the valet.

"I like to lie low," was his quiet response.

He slipped his jacket off of his shoulders and handed it to me, gesturing for me to put it on. Of course, I looked like exactly what I was. Wouldn't want to draw attention to the fact that this gentleman was paying for sex…with a boy. He quickly ushered me through the lobby to the elevators. He glanced furtively around as we waited, as if he was hoping someone specific wouldn't see us. He sighed in relief as the elevator doors opened, and he gently pushed me inside, following behind. He pushed the button for the top floor, and then he pushed the 'Door Close' button, so no one else could join us for the ride.

Once the doors opened to the top floor, Richie Rich ushered me to one of two doors, opening it with a keycard. Stepping inside, my breath caught in my throat. The room was gorgeous, and enormous. It looked to be a suite or something, complete with a living area, a workspace, and a dining area. There was even a piano in the living area—so strange. The bedroom was to our left, and I headed inside, taking a cursory glance at the king-sized four-poster bed before turning to face him and beckoning for him to follow me with a crook of my finger.

The man swallowed audibly, but came inside, shutting the door needlessly behind him. By the time he turned back around to face me, I had divested myself of the coat and pulled out a few condom options from my back pocket.

"So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Umm, I don't know. I have to admit, I've never done this before."

"Well, honey, I've done it all. Anything you want, we can do." He seemed like the type of guy who would be harboring some strange kink.

He shuffled his feet, looking down at the floor for a moment. When he finally met my gaze, he seemed sort of shell-shocked, like he couldn't believe what he'd gotten himself into. A lot of guys said they'd never hired a hustler before. Maybe, in this man's case, it was actually true.

"What's your name?" he asked.

I considered giving him a false name, but something about his nervous behavior endeared him to me, so I told him the truth.

"It's Edward."

A smile crept across his lips. He had an inviting smile. "I'm Carlisle," he said, extending his hand. I took it—he had a firm, warm handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Edward."

"Sure. So, should we get started?" I held up the condoms again, splaying them with my fingers so he could see the different colors.

"You choose," he said. I didn't really care, so I shoved all but one back into my pocket.

His eyes had grown darker. It was a look I was familiar with, so he must have accepted his decision. I started my usual routine. Flashing him my trademark crooked smirk, I whipped the wifebeater up over my head and threw it to the side. With one hand on my zipper, I rolled my hips seductively before starting to pull it down.

"Wait!"

I stopped, surprised by his sudden outburst. I think he shocked himself too, because he stared at me open-mouthed for a moment before continuing.

"I...I want to do it," he whispered.

I smiled wider as he approached me, pushing me gently on the shoulder, telling me with his gesture to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat down next to me, leaning forward to kiss me. I turned my head at the last second, giving him my cheek.

"I don't kiss."

A look of disappointment crossed his face, but he didn't comment on it. He just smiled slightly and nodded as he cupped my cheek in his large warm hand, his lips descending to caress my neck.

Immediately, I felt self-conscious. Did I smell okay? I wasn't used to this close contact. Normally, I was just an anonymous hole to be fucked. But Carlisle...whenever his eyes met mine, they pierced into me, looking at me too deeply. He was confident in his intimate actions, taking care to make sure I was stimulated. It was awkward for me at first, feeling his lips trail down the slope of my neck, across my shoulder, over my chest. When he took my nipple into his mouth, I couldn't help but moan at the sensation. All thoughts left my mind as I focused on the sensations he was giving me—sensations I'd never felt before.

His hands roamed, exploring my back, my stomach, his wet lips following close behind. I was so lost in what he was doing to me, I didn't notice when or how he had removed his shirt, but it was somehow gone. I took my opportunity to let my hands explore him—his body was similar to mine, but his muscles were a little bigger and his chest was much hairier—more to grab on to.

Soon, he pushed me to lie back on the bed, my legs still dangling over the end. The bed shifted as he got up, and I lifted myself up on my elbows to see what he was doing. A hustler could never be too sure what might happen; you should always be vigilant. Some crazy trick might try to shoot you up with heroin or something, or he might pull a gun on you. I've heard stories about that shit; I'd known guys who never came home.

But Carlisle didn't do any of those things. Instead, he knelt down on the floor between my legs as he undid my shorts. Lifting my hips so he could easily slide them down my legs, internally I breathed a sigh of relief. So he wanted to blow me. Easy street.

Carlisle stared at my cock for a minute, his mouth practically watering at the sight of it. I had to admit, my cock was pretty nice. It was only average in length, but it was thick and it was straight—no weird curves or strange little bumps. But it had nothing on my ass.

"You're gorgeous," he growled. I blushed at his compliment but lost my focus as his hot mouth descended over me. He was a damn good cocksucker, using just the right pressure and rhythm. _Maybe Emmett taught him_, I joked to myself.

All too soon, Carlisle released me from his mouth with a loud pop. I assumed he would turn me over now, spreading my legs wide so he could fuck me. But he didn't. Instead, his lips moved down to my balls, his hands beneath me, cupping my ass cheeks. Moans left my lips unbidden as he lathed my sac with his tongue and his long fingers massaged my cheeks. Nobody but me had ever paid any attention to my balls before, and I fisted the sheets in an attempt to distract myself. I didn't want to come too soon—tricks liked it when you came while they fucked you, because your ass muscles tighten and it feels that much better for them. Just when I thought I was done for, his mouth was gone and one hand moved between my legs to palm my balls. He lifted them up, and his head ducked lower. All of a sudden, I felt something wet against my asshole. A jolt ran up my spine at the contact, and I let out a shocked yelp.

Carlisle quickly drew back and met my gaze, frowning. "You don't like it?"

"No!" Was he kidding? "It's not that. I just…I didn't expect you to do that."

"Oh." He grinned before ducking back down between my legs, continuing to tease my ass with his strong tongue. He alternated between long flat licks and little swirls with the point. It felt so fucking good; it was all I could do not to clamp my thighs around his head. Soon, I was no longer able to control my moaning and my hips bucked against his mouth of their own accord. I couldn't take it; I was gonna blow if he continued probing me with his tongue like this.

"Please…" I whimpered. "Please just fuck me."

It was as if that was what he'd been waiting to hear. As he rose from his knees, I scooted back on the center of the bed. He watched me as he quickly undid his trousers, shoving them down, along with his boxers, over his thighs. The garments were pooled at his feet, and he stepped out of them. His cock was leaking with precum, long and slender and standing at attention against his belly. I licked my lips seductively, making him chuckle. That wasn't my goal, but it was a welcome reaction. It was always nicer to lighten the mood. With a grin and a wink, I tossed the condom and a small packet of lube to him. As he rolled it on and soaked himself, I began to turn over onto my stomach.

"Wait. No," he said, his tone husky as he grabbed my ankle to keep me in place. "Like this."

Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, ever wanted to fuck me so they could see my face. I think most tricks wanted to imagine whoever they wanted when they were inside me. I shouldn't have been surprised—Carlisle had already proven to be different in so many ways. But I couldn't help feeling a little bit nervous. What if he tried to kiss me? Should I keep my eyes closed? Would he be watching me?

As he crawled onto the bed and situated himself above me, he seemed to notice my apprehension. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." I swallowed hard, not really knowing what to say. Hooking his arms under my legs, he brought my knees up to the level of his shoulders. I felt the bulbous head of his sheathed cock press against me, and then he was pushing inside, breaching me, filling me. Never having fucked in this position before, my breath caught in my throat, and I squeezed my eyes shut as he sank deep inside me—it seemed like I could feel him all the way up to my ribcage.

When he began to thrust, I met his hips with mine, trying to find his rhythm and match it. My cock bobbed between us—I was so used to it going untouched by my tricks that the occasional friction as his abs rubbing against my cock felt electric. His grunts and groans were sexy—I found myself wanting to hear more of them, so I crossed my feet behind his head and scratched my nails down his back.

He let out a long drawn out moan at the sensation, and his position inside me shifted a little. With his next inward thrust, stars exploded behind my eyelids, and I heard someone cry out loudly. It took me a second to realize it was me.

"Oh yeah," he groaned, obviously pleased that he'd found my sweet spot, and his pace picked up, his cock never ceasing to hit my prostate with each subsequent thrust. My head thrashed about against the pillow, my hands gripped his ass, trying to pull him in deeper, my hips bucked against his. My cries got louder as I felt my balls begin to tighten—I was so close.

Lost in sensation, I opened my eyes to look at him. His hair was sweaty and plastered to his forehead, his eyes closed, and his face wearing a blissful expression. It made me feel proud—_I_ did this to him. As if sensing my eyes on him, he opened his and we stared at each other as we chased our orgasms. His hand found my cock, hungry for attention. Two pumps and I was done, my ass clenching around his long, hard cock, my cum painting our chests in spurts, our eyes never breaking contact. He let out an animalistic groan as his hips stilled, before he quickly pulled out and collapsed next to me on the bed.

We lay beside each other in the afterglow, silent for a few minutes as we recovered. For the first time, I actually enjoyed myself while in bed with another man. He hadn't fucked me; he hadn't used me. He'd _made love_ to me. This revelation left me overwhelmed. I should leave now—that was the custom—but I didn't want to. I wanted to stay with this man. This man who actually cared if I felt pleasure. This man who wasn't like any of my other tricks.

Carlisle.

No! I _had_ to leave. I couldn't allow myself to get attached. Besides, I wasn't even gay. And he wouldn't want a piece of street trash like me staying here any longer than necessary.

Reluctantly, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Just as my feet settled on the floor, I felt Carlisle's hand on my arm, clasping it firmly.

"Where are you going?" he asked, sounding confused and maybe a little bit…hurt?

Turning to face him, I smiled sadly. "Back where I belong."

His lips pressed together in a tight line, his brow furrowed. "You belong right here. Lay back down."

He gently tugged on my arm, urging me to come closer. Willingly, I fitted myself against his side without another word, my head resting in the crook of his shoulder. He began to lightly stroke my hair. No one ever stroked my hair before.

His chest rose and fell evenly, and I felt myself being lulled to sleep by his rhythmic breathing and steady heartbeat.

As I was falling asleep, I thought I heard him whisper, "Stay with me, Edward. I want you to stay."

But maybe it was just my imagination. In any case, I _would_ stay, but only for tonight. Tomorrow would be a new day, and who knew what he would think about my presence when the morning came. Besides, I wasn't gay, not really, so nothing could really come of this. For now, I just lay there, enjoying the feeling of someone actually caring about me, even if it was fleeting.

Tomorrow I'd be back on the street, back to my dark reality. But tonight, this one night, I would allow myself to dream of a better life.


	2. Chapter 2

Lost Boy

Chapter 2

Carlisle POV

The warm sunshine bathed my face as I was slowly roused from slumber. A pleasant way to start the morning, especially after the night I'd just had. Edward had been magnificent, with a body to rival any of the other men I had ever bedded. The man was sexy beyond belief, but more than that, I felt we had really connected. Of course, Edward probably hadn't felt the same; this was a job to him, right? But last night…it had to be different. There was no way Edward's other customers treated him the way I did.

That was the first time I ever picked up a prostitute, and it worried me a little how easy it was. I hadn't even ever considered doing such a thing, but after the news I got at work earlier that day, it seemed like the only thing to do. There was a Sword of Damocles hanging over me, and I was about to lose everything I'd worked so hard for. I wanted to do something crazy and reckless, something where I could control the outcome. Of course, it didn't quite end up as the encounter I had planned.

The weight of the world felt like it was on my shoulders that night. The future of the merger was in my hands. I chose and groomed the McAllister company for its eventual take-over, wined and dined them, tried to convince them to let me buy them out and farm out our people to their locations, while paying them handsomely and keeping their family business name. When Liam finally agreed to the merger, I couldn't believe my luck.

Now, it was only three days until I was to introduce him to the Board of Directors, and he decided to bail on the deal. He was supposed to sign the contract after meeting with the Board and getting their approval, so there was absolutely nothing to tie him to us. I would be left to appear foolish in front of my boss, my father, having to admit that I'd lost the account I'd worked for months on. I would surely be fired, my place in the family business given to my father's weaselly right hand man Jenks. This was my one chance to prove myself, and I'd blown it.

The dread over losing my inheritance and the general feeling of hopelessness led me down the seedier side of Sunset Boulevard that night. It was the kind of area where you keep your doors locked and your eyes on the road if you know what's good for you. Petty thieves, drug addicts, prostitutes. The kind of place I would normally avoid, but felt compelled to go to in that moment. I needed to feel alive, feel the adrenaline pumping through every vein. I didn't know what I was looking for exactly; my gaze fell on anyone who happened to be on the street. There was a gaggle of call girls, not selling themselves, but gossiping on the stoop of a ramshackle apartment building. Their large, probably false breasts were popping out of what passed for scraps of clothing. I frowned in disgust. Not what I was looking for.

While I rolled up to a stop light, I spotted a drug deal going down in the shadows of an alley. I watched them as they carried out their business, and apparently lost myself for a moment, because then someone was leaning on their horn behind my car. Tires squealed, and the car peeled out into the lane for oncoming traffic, zipping by me. Fucking impatient L.A. assholes.

I continued down Sunset Boulevard and eventually spotted male prostitutes hanging out on corners. Now this I could get down with. I hadn't been with anyone since I broke up with Paul, and fucking away my troubles sounded like exactly what I needed. All the guys looked young and fairly dirty, with furtive, blinking eyes. I would definitely be risking disease or a robbery with one of those guys.

Then, a car pulled away from its parking spot and there he was. A boy with a shock of reddish-brown hair and a lean swimmer's body stood leaning against a lamppost, smoking a cigarette. His tight, white wife beater rode up from the waistband of his torn-in-all-the-right-places denim shorts, revealing lily white skin and a hint of his happy trail. His sandals screamed 'free-spirit'. I pulled over without thinking. The boy took notice right away. He couldn't see me because the windows were tinted, but I could see him admiring the car. Don't you love how people always forget that the tinted windows don't work both ways and you can still see them? I chuckled to myself—I could tell by the look on his face that he felt he'd hit the jackpot with me tonight.

He sidled up to the car and rapped on the passenger window. When I rolled it down, he must have liked what he saw, because his smile reached his eyes as he asked if I wanted a date. Without hesitation, I said yes and he got in the car. The minute I started driving us back to my hotel, I started freaking out in my head. What the hell was I doing? Do people take hookers back to their hotels or do they just fuck in their cars? Was it weird that I was doing this? Oh, fuck it, the whole thing was weird. What the hell was I thinking?

I panicked all the way to the hotel. The silence was awkward for me, but the guy didn't seem to mind. Despite my obvious discomfort, I couldn't help the painful hard-on I sported. I'm sure the kid noticed—his hand was on my thigh, and I swear I saw him look at my lap, wearing a self-satisfied smile. Finally, we got there, but he was hardly dressed inconspicuously. I gave him my coat and ushered him through the lobby quickly, but hopefully not so quickly as to draw notice to us.

When we got to my room, he was awed. He looked around the room with the wonder of a child, like he'd never been in a suite before. Maybe he hadn't. What did I know? But he did seem, from what little we'd said to each other, like he was only doing this to make money for whatever it was he needed, and once he got it, he would leave this life behind. He was cleaner and more coherent than the others I'd seen; there must be something more to him. His child-like wonder was endearing, and suddenly, it didn't seem right to just fuck him anymore. And I no longer wanted that. I made love to that boy; not just taking what I wanted, but making sure he enjoyed it too. I could tell that he did. When he got up to leave, I told him to stay. It just blurted out of my mouth. I didn't think he would do it, and he did hesitate before he climbed back into bed. He snuggled against me and as I fell asleep, I thought I could get used to this.

Not ready to open my eyes to the sun just yet, I felt for Edward on the other side of the bed. I opened my eyes when I felt only sheets.

"Edward?" I wandered over to the bathroom and peeked in, but he wasn't there. Next, I checked the lounge.

"Edward?"

There was no trace of him. My wallet was lying open on top of the piano though. I was surprised to find that Edward hadn't taken all of the money inside. He only took what he was owed. I knew then that he wasn't born on the streets. What he was doing was due to a stroke of bad luck. I knew I was being awfully hopeful in my assessment of his life, but I didn't care. I wanted to believe good things of Edward. Maybe I just wanted to justify taking a prostitute back to my room. He wasn't some filthy thief. It seemed like his tough exterior was just a facade. Underneath, he was vulnerable, maybe even a little wet behind the ears. He wasn't like the others. That made it better, right?

I was stunned to find myself rationalizing my little tryst and even more so to discover that I was actually disappointed that Edward snuck off in the night. I thought he had as good a time as I did. But hustling is a job to him, isn't it? Of course he was never going to stay. But his reactions seemed too real to be an act. No, he had enjoyed what I did to him. I wished he was still here so I could run my hands along his smooth, warm skin, watch his face twist with pleasure as his body wrapped around me oh-so-tightly while I try to coax a kiss out of him. I wondered what he'd taste like, how his lips would feel against mine, whether his tongue would come out to duel or caress.

Shaking my head to clear my daydream, I chastised myself for being so silly. He was never going to kiss me; he was only in it for the money. The fact I'd made him feel good too was a nice bonus for him, but when I asked him to stay, his hesitation was clear. He probably only stayed until I fell asleep out of pity. Foolish Carlisle, to fantasize about anything more.

Never in the ten years since she passed had I ever been glad that my mother was dead. If she ever learned I paid for sex, it would have killed her. My father would probably pat me on the back and call me a big man. Men have needs, he would say. But I wasn't about to tell him and ruin my carefully constructed image. I wanted to be Alistair Cullen's exact opposite. I needed him to know that when I took over the company, I wasn't going to run it with an iron fist...it would be a more collaborative effort.

Sitting down at the desk in the lounge, I ordered some coffee, bacon, and eggs from room service while I waited for the laptop to boot up. When I opened my email, Liam McAllister's itinerary stared back at me. An itinerary now obsolete. Fucking McAllister... aborting the deal with no notice. This was going to make me look bad in the eyes of my father, and make the company l was trying to merge with seem untrustworthy. If I could just buy a little time, maybe I could convince Liam McAllister to come back into the fold and agree to the merger. I just needed to figure out a way to sweeten the deal. But how was I going to do that when Liam was supposed to be meeting with the Board of Directors in just two days' time? It seemed damn near impossible to finagle in such a short amount of time.

I didn't get very far in my plans before my mobile phone began ringing. I glanced at the caller ID...my father's office. With a heavy sigh, I answered.

"Carlisle Cullen."

"Carlisle!" the smarmy voice on the other end of the line cooed. It was my father's assistant, Jay Jenks, a weaselly, beady-eyed man who would do all manner of uncouth things at my father's bidding. "Alistair is so looking forward to meeting your new partner, or should I say, scapegoat?" He giggled gleefully. "We're starting to think he doesn't actually exist!"

I grimaced, feeling my anger rising at Jenks' reference to himself and my father as some kind of unit and struggling to tamp it down. "Everything is right on target, Jenks, " I bit out. "I've got him right where I want him. You can assure Father of that."

"Good. Alistair is counting on you, boy."

"Don't call me boy," I growled before ending the call.

It took all the control I had not to throw the phone across the room. My anger at Jenks quickly dissipated though as the realization set in that I'd only dug my grave deeper.

Holding my head in my hands, I felt despair welling up inside me. How was I going to pull this off? A vision of the lovely hustler I had in my bed last night danced on the inside of my closed eyelids. I held onto the image of the handsome young man with the penny-colored hair like a lifeline.

Gasping, I opened my eyes and a grin spread across my face. Nobody knew what Liam looked like. They knew nothing about him, except that he was based in Ireland. A maniacal sort of laughter spilled from my lips as my new plan began to take shape.

Maybe I wouldn't need Liam McAllister after all...

A/N: Not my strongest chapter, but a necessary plot-building one. Currently working on the next one. I'm hoping to update weekly, so you can receive quality work from me. Please do let me know what you think – reviews are ever so encouraging.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 3**

**Edward POV**

**Four months earlier**

All the money was gone. I only left home a little over a week ago, and I already had nothing to my name. To be fair, my father only had a few hundred dollars in his wallet when I'd swiped it, and the bastard cancelled his credit cards on day one. But not before I could buy a train ticket to California. I was never going back to Chicago, ever.

But now that I was here, I realized I didn't really have a plan, or any idea of how to live on my own. I was nearly eighteen, never left home aside from the fucking boarding school my parents sent me to. Guess I pulled one too many pranks, got kicked out of one too many schools for my father's liking. I didn't blame him really. I was a fuck up, he said so himself. Too interested in having fun and playing pranks. All I could see was my father's face seething with anger, his enraged voice ringing in my ears...

-_Breaking into the headmaster's office to give every student in the school an F? You only have half a year left and you get kicked out again! And for what? Asinine, idiotic, downright criminal behavior!_

_You're so dumb, Edward._ Trust my kid sister Alice to add her two cents to my misery.

_You'll never amount to anything, Edward. You're a fuck up. You take every opportunity handed to you and just piss it away. Do you have anything to say for yourself? No? That's it then. You've left us with no choice. We're enlisting you in military school to finish your senior year. See how well your privileged ass will do there - they'll break your rebellious streak, that's for sure.-_

I knew as well as he did that I would not fare well in military school, so that night, when everyone was asleep, I swiped the old man's wallet and left Chicago behind forever. Of course, I was extremely short-sighted in my rush to get away, and I didn't bring so much as a change of clothes with me. Once I got off the train at Union Station, I realized how dumb I'd been, so I went into a department store to buy some new duds, and it was at the register I realized dear old Dad had cut off the credit cards. I'd never been so embarrassed in my life when the check-out girl told me the card was declined, and I hightailed it out of there, my face beet-red.

Now, two days had passed since my train arrived in downtown Los Angeles. With no money, I couldn't stay anywhere or eat anything. I'd luckily found a half-drunk water bottle on the top of a full trash bin, and I drank it down, careful not to let the rim of the bottle touch my lips, hoping to God it actually was water. At least I wouldn't die of dehydration - it was hot as hell here in Southern California. My clothes were sweaty and filthy from sleeping in the park for the last two nights, if you could call it sleeping. I basically rested with one eye open, afraid to let down my guard. Any street dweller could approach me and do anything they wanted with me; I was so hungry that my body was weak— there would be no chance of me winning any kind of fight. Luckily, I wasn't disturbed by anyone. When I walked by a store window and caught my reflection, I realized why— I looked like the other bums, like I belonged on the street. My face was dirty, my hair greasy, huge dark circles surrounding my eyes.

A burning sensation pricked behind my eyes, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back the tears. I ducked into an alleyway so no one would see me cry and hunkered down next to a dumpster that reeked like rotten fish. The smell was atrocious, but I felt confident no one would venture down this way if they could avoid it. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I hid my face in my pillowed arms and let the sobs come.

What had I done? What had I gotten myself into? How would I get back home? Did I really want to go back home? Because I wouldn't really be going home. I'd be going to military school.

I was pulled from my wallowing by the sound of footsteps approaching. My sense of flight skyrocketed— here I was in an alley, my face tear-streaked, my stomach empty, and nothing in my wallet to offer this likely thief approaching me. The hulking figure was standing in front of me before my addled brain could tell my body to move. I was trapped now— whatever was going to happen was going to happen. Trying to keep the fear from my eyes, I lifted my head to look at the man. His height and muscles were imposing, but his face was angular, yet boyish, his eyes soft, his short brown hair with not-too-tight curls framing his face. Despite the large stature, he seemed kind, and concerned. He squatted down so he could meet me at my eye level.

"Hey, man. Are you alright?"

I just blinked and he shook his head.

"No, of course you're not. Look at you. Have you eaten anything today?"

My stomach rumbled loudly at the mere thought of food and I shook my head.

"Do you want to?"

I sniffled and nodded, looking down, ashamed.

The man sighed. "Why don't you come back to my place. You can shower and have a bite."

Suspicious of his intentions, I bit my lip before asking, "W-why are you doing this?"

He sighed again, his brow furrowing. "You don't look like you belong out here. You look like someone who needs help. I get you being nervous to trust me. All I can do is promise I won't hurt you. The choice is yours."

I looked into the burly man's soft, brown eyes. I thought I sensed sincerity in them, and honestly, my hunger was clouding my decisions. I took a deep breath and put my hand in his out-stretched one, allowing him to haul me to my feet.

Against my better judgement, I followed him out of the alley, trying not to think about the possibility he could be leading me to certain death. He seemed genuine enough, but isn't that what they always say about serial killers? No matter, where else was I going to go? Whatever happened, at least I wouldn't die starving next to a fish market dumpster.

**Emmett POV**

I don't have a fucking pimp. Sure, they've approached me, but I flat-out refused to work for anybody. They always threatened me with some type of bodily harm after I'd say no, but they never followed through on any of the threats. I mean, I'm still walking around, aren't I?

I was in control of my own destiny. I didn't need to answer to anyone, or share my income with anyone, for that matter. It was all for me, and it damn well should be with all the things I do. I did have to rotate the spots where I picked up my customers so there wasn't a risk of crossing into what they claim is their territory. I hated giving even an inch to the pimps, but I have to survive on these streets so I can get the money to pay for the rent and electric and food...it all adds up, and fast.

Now that The Kid was here, he could help me pay for that shit and maybe we could even have a little extra to have fun, like go to a movie, or the arcade. He seemed like a nice kid, scared and nervous, but nice. I could clean him up and recruit him to work with me. He was pretty and slim, sort of a twink. His dance card would never be empty. Anyway, he kind of owed me. He was huddled next to a dumpster in the alleyway around the corner from my apartment, covered in filth, penniless, and starving. The Kid was a sorry sight, and then he looked up and our eyes met and I saw so much fear and sadness in him. I felt like I needed to help him somehow. He just looked kind of innocent, like he didn't belong on the mean streets of L.A.

The Kid was uncomfortable, standing there in my living room, scratching his forearm and biting his lip. He didn't raise his eyes to look at me. I wondered what his story was, but I didn't want to push him to tell me anything yet.

"Uh, do you want a drink or something?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Um, no thanks." The way he was chewing his lip, I thought he might bite through it.

"Okay."

We just stood there for a few awkward moments, his eyes darting around before landing on the ashtray on my coffee table.

"Uh, do you have an extra cigarette?" he asked with hope in his voice.

He seemed a little young to be a smoker, but hey, what did I know. "Sure, man. Menthol okay?" I asked, tossing him the pack from my back pocket.

He caught it, nodding gratefully, and slid one out of the box. He sat on the couch, grabbed the matches from the table, and lit his cigarette, inhaling deeply and looking like he was in absolute heaven. On the exhale, he gave a little sigh of contentment that made me want one too. I lit my own cigarette, and took a seat on the faded old armchair across from the table. We just sat staring at each other while we smoked, wondering what the other was thinking. When he'd finished and stubbed out the butt, I broke the weird silence.

"So, I thought maybe you could take a shower. You can borrow some of my clothes, but they'll be too big on you. While you're in there, I'll make us some grub, ok?"

He smiled then, and met my eyes. "Thanks, man."

"Emmett," I said, going in for a handshake.

He grasped my hand and shook it. "Edward," he said, still smiling at me. I showed him to the bathroom and left some clothes that I'd outgrown outside the door, along with an extra toothbrush for him. Going back to the kitchen, I searched for something to eat. The fridge was pretty empty. I had the flu last week, so I couldn't work. The funds were a little short, and rent was due in two days. I had enough to cover it, but not enough extra to really buy food just yet.

Pulling out the eggs and bread, I fired up the stove and thought about Edward. By the way he acted, it seemed like he felt lucky I plucked him off the street. I wondered how lucky he'll think he is when he finds out I fuck men for money, and that I think he should do it too. I mean, the thought probably never crossed Edward's mind before. The kid looked like a teenage runaway, but from a rich family. Under all that grime, he looked sort of...I guess polished is the best word.

He returned just as I set the dishes on the card table that served as my dining table. I was right, he cleaned up real nice. Edward was totally out of his element and swimming in my clothes. But he looked so grateful, bashful even, like he was embarrassed I'd found him in that state. Typical rich kid, worried about appearances.

"Thanks for making food. I love eggs and toast," he said as he sat down.

"Yeah, sorry it's kind of lame, but I haven't been to the grocery store in a while."

"No, no! It's cool. Like I said, I love any breakfast foods. Waffles, bacon, coffee, sausage, eggs, toast. Breakfast for dinner, man, that's where it's at."

I watched as he stuffed a forkful of the eggs in his mouth. That was the most he'd spoken to me since I took him in, and I was kinda shell-shocked. He seemed like he was someone I might actually get along with.

I smiled at him. "Yeah, I love it too."

We were quiet again as we ate, neither of us knowing what to say to the other. So, I decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Look, Edward. Obviously, you've been through some shit. I don't need to know your story. As long as harboring you isn't gonna get me killed, you can stay here for as long as you want."

He smiled a little at that and nodded. "Wow, thank you."

"Only…" I hesitated a moment. "I need help with the rent. So, you'll have to work so you can pay half."

There he went, worrying his lip again. "Oh, er, okay, but…" He looked down at his plate. "Well, I've never had a job before. I don't know where to start."

Wow, so dead on about the rich kid thing. Could I read people or what. Time to break the news. Better he find out now than later. "You can do what I do. I could train you. It's pretty lucrative."

He glanced around my apartment, which was a mix of things I bought and things I found on a curbside and brought home. Then, he looked down at the eggs and toast on his plate, then back up at me with his eyebrow raised.

"No, seriously. I was sick last week, so I couldn't work."

He gave me a disbelieving look. "Okay. So, what do you do, then?"

I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm a hustler."

"Like, drugs?" he asked, his eyes wide with horror.

I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. Tamping down my amusement, I said in a serious tone, "No, not drugs. Sex."

Edward looked so taken aback, I thought he might faint for a minute. When he recovered from his surprise, he wanted confirmation. "Women pay you to sleep with them?"

I chuckled again. "No, that's a gigolo. Men pay to sleep with a hustler."

He looked even more shocked, if that were possible. He actually recoiled a little. He seemed to realize that he was being really obvious about how he felt, and struggled to compose himself.

"Uh, er, you didn't strike me as gay."

"I'm not."

He paused, trying to process that. "You're straight, but you let men fuck you?"

"Yup," I replied, popping the P.

Shaking his head, it took him a second to gather himself before he wondered, "Why?"

I shrugged. "It pays better. Men are willing to pay more, and men are repeat customers. Women don't have as high a sex drive. It's men who buy hookers most of the time. I've gotten as much as seventy-five bucks for blowing a dude." Edward's mouth fell open. "Yeah, I thought that was pretty good. I usually charge fifty—gotta stay competitive out there."

Edward realized his mouth was open and snapped it shut.

Pushing my empty plate away, I crossed my arms in front of me on the table. "So, I take it you're not gay either." Edward shook his head. "Well, it's not so bad, once you get over the fact that you're with another man. I mean, you have a cock, so you know what to do with one. It's easy to give hand jobs and blow jobs. You create your own rules. You don't have to let them cum in your mouth. You could even make them wear a condom, but you'll get paid a lot less. Oh, and men know the right way to touch you too, so it's enjoyable if you let yourself enjoy it. I always use condoms for sex though."

He scoffed at that, his head shaking again. "Yeah, well, maybe I could get over the mental block for hand and blow jobs, but I never had anything in my ass before, and I'm not about to start."

"You don't have to offer sex. Blow jobs would make you enough. You'd probably have to do a few each night though." Edward shifted in his seat, looking highly uncomfortable. I wasn't here to force him into what I was doing, I just wanted him to bring home some cash. Hustling was just an easy way to do that, but I didn't want him to think he had to. "Look, you don't have to do it, but you do have to get some kind of job, like flipping burgers or something."

He seemed relieved I let him off the hook. He met my eyes and smiled a little. "Well, I'll think about it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A while later, after we watched a lame movie with too many commercials on TV, I made up the couch as a bed for him.

"Now don't go stealing anything," I teased.

He laughed. "Please, for all I know, you lured me here to kill me in my sleep."

I laughed with him, but thought that was kind of a twisted thing to say. Maybe he's been through more than I gave him credit for. Still, I'd wait for him to tell me. In the meantime, it was nice to have some company. He'd just better get cracking on that job hunt.

**A/N:** Please let me know what you thought! A new chapter next week 😊


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Everything that happened in the last chapter happen eight months prior to the current events, not four as the header suggested. My apologies for the error!

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 4**

**Edward POV**

**The next night**

My trusty ripped denim shorts hugged my ass as I casually leaned against my lamppost, waiting for my night to start. I tried to look as sexy as possible, while also making it look effortless. It was no easy task, but I felt like I was nailing it. Unfortunately, it seemed like it was going to be a slow night tonight. Garrett and I had been hanging out on our respective corners for at least an hour with no action.

Garrett and I had a sort of understanding. He worked the corner across from me, and we knew each other's comings and goings, when we weren't gone on a job. We kind of looked out for each other, as much as two people could in the highly competitive world of hustling. We had completely different motives for being out there — I did this for rent and living money, Garrett did this for his next hit of heroin. But he was a nice enough guy when he was coherent enough for conversation.

I watched as Garrett was picked up by a white Nissan Sentra, the most generic of cars. He gave me a thumbs up as he got in. As the car took off, my mind drifted to the man I'd been in bed with the night before, Carlisle. He'd been my first job of the night, and he ended up being the only one. I couldn't believe I'd let myself get pulled in like that. Yeah, the sex had been great. Yeah, it was comfortable in that soft pillow top bed, with his strong arms around me securely. But I needed money. One trick the whole night was not going to cut it, and my roommate was gonna be pissed if I didn't have enough to pay my way next month.

It had been a long time since someone had taken the time to care about me, to touch me with the purpose of me feeling pleasure, to want me to stay with them even after the sex was over. Emmett cared about me, but not in the same way - he cared for me as a friend. The way Carlisle treated me last night gave me a taste of what is was like to be cared for as a lover, and it felt really good. Although, it was a little weird for me to have enjoyed being intimate with a man. I loved the ladies, but when the hell did I have time to meet a girl, let alone take her out on a date? I did work nights after all. It had been so long since someone held me, it didn't matter if Carlisle was a man. It had felt nice, right somehow. I found myself wondering if I'd ever see him again. Probably not, he had never picked up a hustler before, that much was obvious. No, it had to be a one-time thing for him.

My train of thought was broken when an old station wagon straight out of the 90s rolled up to my corner. Time to get to work. I approached the passenger side door as the guy rolled the window down. Bending to see in the window, I found a guy in his early 40s with long black hair tied into a ponytail. He was pasty looking, like he worked in an office as an accountant or something. Great, another douchebag looking to come out of the closet for a few minutes.

"How much?" he asked in a smarmy little voice.

I held up my hand, palm facing him. "25." Then I pointed to my mouth. "$60." Finally, I stood up, turned around, and shook my ass at the open window. Turning back to face him, I turned on the charm, throwing him a wink. "$150."

"Get in."

As soon as I shut the door, he started driving. He didn't say anything, so I glanced around the dash, my eyes landing on a name tag lying in the space under the stereo. Aro Volturi, Triad Industries. Ah-ro or Arrow? I wondered to myself.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing working the streets?" he cooed.

"Uh, working the streets?" I didn't mean it to sound like a question, but the snark didn't come across. Honestly, being called pretty kinda creeped me out.

"Pretty little girls like you should be at home, tucked safely into their beds."

A shudder of disgust ran through me at that. Aro noticed and smiled before turning his attention back to the road. It occurred to me that no pretty little girls would be safe around this guy. I got the horrible feeling that he was some kind of pedo, and he was going to use me to get his rocks off in place of a child. Which also made me feel like I was doing something kinda good. At least a little girl wasn't getting raped tonight.

It was only a couple of minutes before he pulled off the street and stopped the car in a spot unseen from the road and away from the spill of the floodlights in the empty parking lot.

Turning the ignition off, he moved to look at me and hooked his thumb toward the back seat. "Let's get in the back."

I looked at the small space between the two front seats, then back at him. He nodded and raised an eyebrow. As I moved into a good position to start climbing through, I noticed the rear seats of the station wagon were already laid down. The guy was prepared. I contorted myself through that tiny space, and Aro took the opportunity to smack me hard on the ass cheek. I yelped at the slight pain, but it was more from the surprise of it. He laughed and nudged me the rest of the way. As I situated myself out of his path, Aro awkwardly squeezed through the gap and went to sit with his back against the side of the interior opposite me.

"Take off the shorts, " he ordered.

I did as I was told. I'd gone commando, something my tricks usually appreciated. But Aro hissed in displeasure when he saw I wore no underwear.

"Turn around, I don't want to see your cock!" he spat with anger.

Again, I did as he said, feeling a little wary now. In a flash, he was behind me, pushing me to lie face down, flush with the floor. The rough fabric on the back of the laid-down seats rubbed against the soft skin of my belly and cock, chafing excruciatingly. I bit back any possible sound from escaping at the sting of pain. The sound of his zipper coming down soon followed, and I swiftly felt for my discarded shorts, grabbing a condom from the back pocket. I tore the packet open with my teeth and held the naked condom over my shoulder.

"Put this on."

Aro grunted, but took it. "Fine."

I heard him roll it on with one hand as two fingers from the other poked roughly into my hole and pulled it open. I thanked God I always took Emmett's advice and prepared myself ahead of time. One of the first things he warned me about was that most guys were not gentle, and some guys were not interested in even trying to prep you. The two fingers were gone in the blink of an eye and I only had time to realize this was not going to be fun before he pushed into me to the hilt, making me cry out with the intense burning of the sudden and brutal intrusion. He groaned, liking my cry of pain, and he started pummeling into me, the rough fabric below me rubbing against my cock insistently. Gritting my teeth against the pain, the burn started to fade into numbness around my ring and I thought I'd be okay, I could get through this. This guy wouldn't last long...

Then, after several hard, deep thrusts, he grabbed my thighs and pushed them together, making my tunnel extra tight for him, but causing me a world of hurt. Every thrust made my ring burn with the dry friction, and I bit back tears, willing him to hurry. He pounded into me with fury, assaulting my ass with his arrow, his fingers digging into my thighs so hard I thought his nails might tear my flesh.

Focused on finishing the job, I squeezed my insides tightly over and over, constricting around his cock, trying to make him fall over the edge. It only took a few squeezes before he was done for. As soon as he finished cumming, he pulled out, and a sigh of relief escaped me. I could feel some wetness leak out of my ass, and I knew it was blood. The bastard tore me, and now I'd have to wait until I healed to make money this way again.

Aro whipped off the condom and dropped it in my lap, his hot cum spilling over my knee. Laughing as I recoiled, he zipped up and left the backseat, climbing through the gap to the front with more ease than before. He didn't even wait for me to clean up my knee or pull my shorts back on before he peeled out of the parking space. I struggled into the shorts while rolling around in the flattened back of the station wagon as he drove the four blocks back to my corner.

When he got there, he tossed three fifties at me without looking back, and said in a menacing tone, "Thanks for the ass. Now get the fuck out."

Scooping up the fifties, I wasted no time getting the hell outta there. As soon as I stepped out and shut the door, he sped away, tires squealing, running a red light. I found myself wishing traffic was heavier at this time of night. I stuffed the money into my front pocket and was about to carefully walk over to my lamppost when I was suddenly bathed in headlights. Temporarily blinded, I raised an arm over my eyes and looked away. A horn sounded, a short staccato honk, and I lowered my arm as my eyes adjusted to the light.

It was a car I recognized, sleek, fancy, with tinted windows. The car of the man I couldn't get out of my head earlier— Carlisle. He was back.

Did he want to fuck me again? I really couldn't do that tonight as much as I needed the money, not after that fucking prick just tore my ass in half. Maybe I could convince him to accept a blow job only. Or maybe he wasn't here for that at all. Maybe he was angry I'd gone through his wallet. I decided to take up a defensive posture, just in case, as he rolled the window down.

"Edward," he said in greeting.

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Who says that's my real name." He stared me down, undeterred by my attempt to circumvent him. So it was the wallet thing.

Pointing at him, I defended myself. "Hey, man, I only took what you owed me."

Carlisle's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before realization dawned. "Oh, I know. It's fine. It was your money. I'm not here about that."

More than a little relieved, but careful not to show it, I asked, "Oh, no? Then what brings you back to my corner?"

"I have a proposition for you."

I laughed outright. "Is that so? And here I was, thinking you already propositioned me."

He let out a soft chuckle at my joke before his face became serious again.

"I'd like to hire you for the week."

Oh, here it comes, I thought to myself. I had a few regulars—my ass was really tight; it had them coming back for more. As such, I launched into my usual speech.

"I don't do relationships, buddy. I do this for money, not because I'm interested in guys. Repeat performances are gonna cost ya a bundle."

"I don't want a repeat performance." My bravado deflated a bit. "I want you to help me. Just for a week."

I stepped back from the car and lit a cigarette. "And what, pray tell, is it that I'd be helping you with, if not your dick?"

"Get in the car and I'll tell you."

"Can I bring this?" I asked, waving the cigarette.

"Umm, no."

I shrugged and flicked the cherry off the end, sticking it back in my pack for later. I couldn't afford to be wasting just-lit cigs. Carefully, I walked over to the car and opened the door, doing my best to hide the pain in my ass as I sat in the passenger seat beside him and closed the door.

Turning toward him, I met his eyes. "So?"

Carlisle cleared his throat. "I'm in a bit of a bind at work and I think you can help me get out of it. This business owner from Ireland was flying here for a big meeting about a merger between his and my father's businesses. At this meeting, he was supposed to sign over the paperwork to my company, giving up his ownership. I facilitated the whole deal, and it was going to secure my place in my father's company."

I put a hand up to stop him. "Wait, you have to secure your place in your own dad's business? Shouldn't you just have a place in the business already? It's usually just handed to you, right?"

His features hardened and his eyes narrowed as he looked away. "Not if you're my father."

"Wow, he sounds like a prick."

"Yeah, he is." He brought his attention back to the conversation at hand. "Which is why when the guy bailed on me, I kinda freaked out. That was the night I came and found you."

I nodded. "Okay, so where do I come in?"

Carlisle took a deep breath. "I want you to pose as this business owner." I went to protest, but he cut me off. "No one has ever met him before. They have no idea what he looks like. I'll tell you what to say. You really don't have to say much, you just have to sign some papers."

I nodded slowly for dramatic effect. "Soooo, you want me to pretend to be somebody else, and you want me to commit forgery."

"No!" he protested, totally sincere, until he realized I was right. It was clear he hadn't thought of it that way. "Well, yeah, I guess so. But I plan to get back in touch with McAllister and convince him to come back into the fold. He's right there— he's just nervous, he explained defensively. "When he agrees, I'll fly to Dublin and have him sign the same paperwork, then I'll tell my dad I lost the originals and get him to sign the papers again. No biggie."

Wide-eyed, I said in mock-agreement, "Yeah...no biggie."

"No, really. It sounds worse than it is."

Huffing at him, I crossed my arms and asked, "What's in it for me?"

"Oh, well, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement. You help me, and you won't have to turn tricks for a week. I'll pay for your time."

I laughed, disbelieving. "And we'll fuck in between meetings, right?"

"No, I just want you to help me out of this situation."

That would definitely be good for my ass recovery if it were true, but I was still wary.

"Why me?"

"I don't know, Edward...if that's your real name…

"It is," I said with a sigh and a roll of my eyes.

He smiled. "Well, at the meeting, your name will be Liam. Anyway, I guess I just...I like you, Edward." My eyebrow raised, but Carlisle kept going before I could say anything. "You have a certain charisma that will be useful in this situation. There's a luncheon where everyone will meet you and then there will be a meeting to sign the paperwork a day or two later. When it's all over, I'll pay you 8K."

My head whipped around; my mouth open in shock. I couldn't have heard him right. "Wait a second. 8 THOUSAND dollars?"

"Yes."

"8 thousand."

"Yes," he said with a chuckle.

"And no sex."

"No sex."

I just couldn't believe this. "Is this real?"

"Yes, it's real," Carlisle insisted. "Will you accept the job?"

Dumbfounded, I did the only thing I could do. I nodded vigorously, a broad smile forming at my good fortune.

Carlisle was smiling too, looking self-satisfied. "Ok then. Thank you. Can I drive you home?"

"No, no, I'll make my own way home. Besides, I'm still working."

A shadow came over his face and he looked a little upset at the suggestion I might still be going home with someone else tonight. "Alright then, meet me at the hotel tomorrow, let's say 4 o'clock? We'll go get you a business suit and I'll brief you on everything you need to know to become Liam."

"You got a deal." I stuck out my hand and he shook it. "See you tomorrow."

Gingerly, I exited the car and Carlisle drove off. Taking out the cigarette I'd stubbed out earlier, I relit it, leaning back against my lamppost and dragging on it deeply. Closing my eyes and marveling at how fucking weird my night had been, my musings were interrupted when I sensed a body standing in front of me.

Opening my eyes, good old strung-out Garrett was a little too close, grinning widely, looking like he was high as a kite.

His words came out in a rush. "Wow, quickie, eh? Fancy ride. Hope you're not here next time he comes around. I want a crack at that cash."

A twinge of jealousy struck me before I tamped it down. I didn't know why, but the thought of Garrett with Carlisle turned my stomach.

"Nah, he's got a weird cock, dude. You don't want any part of that."

**A/N:** Review?


	5. Chapter 5

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 5**

**Emmett POV**

My corner was poppin' all night last night. It was a good mix of blowjobs, requests for my fucking services, and one guy that wanted to fuck me. I liked the variety of it, kept things interesting. Interesting, but tiring. I was ready to collapse on my bed and just pass the fuck out.

Unlocking the apartment door, I walked into the living room, only to find Edward lying on his side on the couch. His eyes were closed, but his body was too tense for him to be asleep, even though it was around 7am. Typically a time we'd both be sleeping off the previous night. His face was drawn and his brow furrowed tightly, breathing in deep through his nose. Some shit went down last night for sure.

"Ed? Are you okay?" He opened his eyes and looked up at me as I went and knelt beside the couch. "What the fuck happened?"

He sighed and avoided eye contact. "Oh, just some dickhead taking out his pedo aggression on me."

"Aw, fuck, man. Come on, we'd better take care of you. You don't want to get an infection or something."

He nodded and slowly rose up, resting his weight on one hip rather than his ass. That worried me a little bit. Slowly, Edward headed for his room as I went to the bathroom medicine cabinet and pulled out the antibiotic ointment, a few cotton balls, and the dreaded witch hazel. Wetting a washcloth with warm water, I carried the supplies back with me to the bedroom. Edward had only just made it in there and was standing by the foot of the bed.

"Alright, let's see the damage."

He undid the shorts and slid them down. As his dick was revealed, red, raw abrasions stared me in the face. "Shit, Eddie, what the fuck happened? It looks like fucking rug burn."

Edward nodded his head. "Yeah, he fucked me against some rough fabric."

"Jesus. Here, rub this on it." I handed him a bottle of aloe vera from the dresser. Good for sunburn, or any kind of burn. When the cool viscous liquid hit his skin, he sighed in relief. "Better?" He nodded. "Okay, get on the bed, let's see what this asshole did to you."

Knowing the drill, he did as I asked, lying on his stomach and spreading his legs enough to give me access to his ruined hole. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happened to us hustlers from time to time. I wouldn't call it common, but it wasn't exactly rare either. The street was a rough place to work sometimes, and there were sadistic fuckers out there. Thus, we had done this sexual injury routine before.

There was some dried blood, which I gently wiped away with the wet cloth. He winced as I cleaned him up, and when the blood was gone, I was able to see the damage.

"Ok, there's a tear, but it's not very big. You're mostly just really puffy and swollen."

"That explains the difficulty sitting," he joked flatly.

I poured a little witch hazel on a cotton ball and warned him, "this'll sting," before I placed it on the cut. He yelped and hissed and I quickly applied some of the ointment to soothe the pain and start the healing process.

All done, I wiped my hands on a clean section of the washcloth and got on the bed, lying next to him. "Sorry that happened to you, man. It's not too bad though. You should be okay in a couple days. Just try not to take too big a shit till then."

He scoffed and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Emm, you're a good friend."

"That's what they tell me."

We were quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. "So, something else happened tonight."

Edward proceeded to tell me about a trick that had picked him up two nights ago, a nice guy who treated him well and even gave Edward some pleasure on purpose as they fucked. Always nice, and pretty unusual. Then, he informed me the guy had come back last night, asking Edward to work for him for a whole week, no sex involved. It was fucking strange, but when Edward told me about the goddamn mountain of money he'd make from the deal, I just couldn't buy into the guy not wanting more than the false identity thing.

"Come on, Ed. There's no way he doesn't want more for eight grand."

"He says he doesn't want sex, I don't know." Edward shrugged. "He insisted."

"Don't believe that, Eddie. He picked you up for sex the first time, right?"

"Well, yeah, but he was different. He was actually like..." He looked away, searching for the right words. "It sounds weird, but he, like…made love to me."

Edward hid his face to hide a blush, but I didn't miss his reddened cheeks. This Carlisle guy was a piece of work, it sounded. What was his angle?

"Wow. You sure this guy is different? This isn't some ploy to kidnap you and turn you into a sex slave?"

He smiled and met my eyes. "I don't think he will, Emm. He's a good guy. You don't know, he treated me like a real person when we fucked. He's just...different."

Conceding to Edward's obvious affinity toward the guy, I replied, "Well, let's hope so. I still don't believe he won't try for more though. Just remember the cardinal rule, man."

**-FLASHBACK-**

The cardinal rule for a hustler on the streets? In my own words: Prep thyself!

I was going to teach Edward about it tonight. He'd been giving blowjobs for a couple of weeks now, and he felt ready to make more money by doing less work. Giving a bunch of blowies every night wasn't great for your jaw muscles— you really start to feel it after a while. It's better if you can offer lots of different things to the johns. Variety is the spice of life, as they say.

The number one most important thing every hustler must do before he goes out with the intention of being picked up by men for sex was to prepare oneself. Very few dudes are gonna want to take the time to make sure your ass is ready for their cock; they just want to ram it in. So, any smart hustler will stretch his own asshole before he goes out for the night. Some wear a butt plug too, but I found the removal awkward and off-putting for johns.

I had set up some large pillows on the living room floor for myself. Edward was sitting on the floor as well, but with his back leaning against the couch. He looked really uncomfortable that I was about to show him how to do this, literally by watching me stretch myself.

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Yes, Edward, we do," I said, some annoyance coming through in my voice, even though I tried to hide it. "You better drop your shame at the door if you're going to be doing this kind of work, man. Like I told you, when you offer sex, you never know what you're gonna get out there. This is the smartest thing you can do if you're working out on the streets. Open yourself up first, or suffer the fucking consequences, literally."

He rolled his eyes at my little pun. "I would think you'd be kind of, I don't know, intimidating to these guys. Not that you aren't hot," he rushed to explain. "You are. I just didn't realize there was a big market for your, uh, body size. I thought men would pick you up more so you can fuck them, not the other way around."

"Well, Eddie boy, there's something to be said for the little pipsqueak being dominant over the big old bear. I'd say it's probably every gay twink's wet dream. I get a lot of that action. But, you're right, more dudes want me to fuck them. Still, you should always be prepared to get fucked. Watch and learn, boy."

I leaned back against the pillows and slid my boxer briefs down my legs, kicking them to the side. Bending my knees, I spread my legs, and held my balls out of the way with one hand, exposing my tightly closed hole to Edward's eye. He looked a little horrified by the sight before him, but his gaze was glued to my ass as I dribbled some lube liberally over my hole. Circling it with my fingertip, I started to gently press against the wrinkled flesh, my dick starting to respond to my touch. Suddenly, I felt awkward having Edward watching me like this.

"You know what, Edward? Follow along."

"Huh?"

"It's better to learn by doing, and besides, it's a little awkward doing this by myself! Now strip!"

After a moment of hesitation, he complied, albeit bashfully, shedding his pajama bottoms and taking up a similar position to mine. I drizzled more lube over my hole before passing the bottle over to him. "Come on, do what I do."

He avoided eye contact, which was fine with me. I wasn't doing this because I got off on it or anything. But I did come to care about Edward in the time that he'd been living with me. He was my friend, the first one I'd had in a long time. You can't exactly keep in touch with your friends from your old life when you did what I do for a living.

As a friend, I didn't want him to get hurt, especially since I was the one who introduced him to this line of work. Also, he wasn't gay and hadn't done anything like this before, making it an all the more important lesson.

Once he'd coated his own fingers and hole with lube as I had, I resumed, holding my balls out of the way. He did as I did, circling, pressing—gently at first, then firmer until one finger sank inside each of us. He gasped a little, but was otherwise okay. One finger is nothing really.

"Now move it in and out."

Once his finger started moving smoothly and his cock started to grow, I said, "Move it around in a circle, widening yourself, then add another."

He mimicked me as I followed my own directions. Sliding the second one inside, I heard him gasp again, and when I looked up at him, his lip was caught between his teeth.

"Just wait until you get used to it, and when you're ready, open and close your fingers like a pair of scissors, and twist them around in there."

He nodded, eyes tightly closed, lip still caught. After a minute or two, his hand started to move as he followed my instruction. My cock was starting to get pretty hard by my own ministrations, and while his was not quite so hard, it hadn't gone soft either. That was a good sign for his future in this business.

When he appeared comfortable with where he was at, I continued, although my voice was a little breathier than before. "Okay, it's time for the third. If you stroke yourself, it'll make it easier."

He looked a little wary about masturbating in front of me. Man, this kid was green. Even though I didn't need to do it, I started stroking myself to make him feel better about it. It worked, and he grasped his cock, squeezing it on the uptake, dipping his thumb in his slit before the downstroke. On the next upward stroke, he started to work in the third. He groaned in discomfort when he got the tip of his finger inside, and stroked himself harder, faster. Soon, the finger slipped in, and his hand slowed as the discomfort grew. He came to a stop, and I knew I had to get this job finished.

I nodded at the bottle next to him. "Put more lube on it, then twist them around so your palm faces your cock."

He grabbed the bottle and squirted a whole lot on, working it into his hole until it was nice and wet, and turned his hand.

"Ok, look at me." I raised my free hand and made a come-hither motion. "Do that against the top wall."

Edward looked from my hand to my face and we made eye contact. But that only lasted for like two seconds before his head fell back and he cried out loudly.

A chuckle escaped me as he made the motion again, his back bowing and his cock leaking, fully hard now. He did it two more times, not able to keep from moaning, and I watched as his cock throbbed before a whole lot of cum erupted from his dick. His fingers slipped out as he slumped and panted.

"See?" I said with a smile. "Not so bad if your trick hits your spot right."

Edward blushed furiously, hiding his face with his forearm.

"No, seriously. You can try to move the angle so it happens easier."

"Okay, Emmett, thanks," he muttered, still terribly self-conscious.

I shook my head at his embarrassment. He was really going to have to work on losing that. It just wouldn't do on the street. But that was a lesson for another time.

"I've got an extra dildo you can practice with. Just remember," I told him, closing out our lesson, "before you go out each night, prep thyself!"

**A/N:** I just love Emmett. Do you like their friendship?


	6. Chapter 6

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 6**

**Carlisle POV**

Edward was trying on his third suit as I sat in a chair outside the dressing room of the high-end clothier shop. He'd met me outside the hotel at 4 o'clock sharp, thankfully dressed in a casual t-shirt and a pair of jeans. It was the first time I'd seen him wearing something other than his street hustler get-up, and even as simple as this outfit was, he looked so normal. One would never guess what he did for a living. As we walked the few short blocks to the shop, we made small talk. I barely paid attention to the conversation. My focus was drawn to the clean lines of his nose and jaw, the slight swagger he moved with, the lean form of his body which he carried with confidence, the accidental brush of his knuckles against my forearm as we walked side by side, the memory of the night we shared a few short days ago which kept flashing to the forefront of my mind.

Although he was clearly younger than me, it didn't seem like too big of a gap. I was twenty-three, and Edward appeared to be perhaps nineteen. He had the usual bravado that came from being a young man who was newly out on his own. Of course, he had experienced much more than a typical person his age. Obviously, his parents were out of the picture, or he wouldn't be involved in his line of work. He told me himself that he did this for the money; he wasn't even gay.

Or so he said. He seemed to enjoy himself enough when he'd spent the night with me. It could have been an act, but it just didn't seem that way. He felt something with me, I just knew it, deep inside. I couldn't explain why I'd grown so attached after what was supposed to be a night to relieve some stress. But I found myself loathe to let the possibility of more slip me by, hoping that our little arrangement might grow into a friendship of sorts. And then… What, he would change his mind about liking guys? I shook my head at my own foolishness.

Before long, we'd arrived at the clothiers. Edward immediately looked like the proverbial deer in headlights as we entered and were surrounded by racks of clothes of the most premium quality. He was obviously overwhelmed by the choices, and the finery of the clothing, no doubt. I told the clerk what we required, and he took measurements, then procured a few different suits for Edward to try on. When he was ushered into the dressing room, I told the clerk to rustle up some other, more casual clothes for him, and the clerk left us alone to decide on an outfit befitting my perception of Liam.

The first suit was a heather-grey, and while it was a handsome suit, the color clashed with Edward's beautiful reddish hair, so that wouldn't do. The second one looked too much like a tuxedo - too formal for the occasion.

But when Edward stepped out of the dressing room for the third time, I was struck dumb. The cut of the suit, in its deep, emerald, brought out his sea green eyes and enhanced his beauty tenfold. I couldn't wait to bring this gorgeous man to my office and show him off, even if I couldn't claim him as mine. I realized I'd been silent for too long when I looked back at his face and one of his eyebrows raised in question.

"So? Is it horrible?"

I shook my head rapidly, wetting my suddenly too-dry lips. "You look stunning, Edward." He looked down, bashful, his cheeks reddening. It was adorable. I tried to soothe his embarrassment.

"The suit suits you."

A laugh burst from his lips. "What a groaner. I didn't take you for a pun guy."

"Puns are fun," I replied with a shrug and a cheeky wink.

"Oh god, ugh, shut up!" he cried, still chuckling. Grinning widely, I turned to the clerk, who was drawn by our mirth. "This is the one. We'll take it."

Edward went back to the dressing room to change back into his clothes and I took the chair just outside to wait for him.

"So, who am I meeting at this lunch thing?" he asked loudly, his voice still muffled by the door.

I sighed heavily. "My father, Alistair Cullen, and his assistant, Jasper Jenks. A few board members but you don't have to know their names, Liam wouldn't. Maybe my father's secretary. The lunch will be in one of the office conference rooms. I'm sure the food will be top-notch - my father wants to continue to woo Liam after all."

"Mmm, your father," he replied, quieter now. "Is he going to grill me?"

I shook my head, then remembered he couldn't see me. "I doubt it. He wants Liam's company. He'll be on his best behavior with you."

Edward reemerged from the dressing room, and we brought the suit up to the check-out counter. The clerk was already boxing up the wares he had chosen for Edward: a few dress shirts and slacks, some plain white undershirts, boxer briefs and socks. The clerk bagged the suit nicely while I ran my credit card through the machine. Edward's eyes widened when he saw the price of the purchases, but he didn't say anything. Taking my bags, we exited the store to walk back the few blocks to the hotel.

Continuing our earlier conversation, I explained, "My father will be on his best behavior, but you don't have to be. I mean, you have to be professional, but Liam is giving up a company he worked hard to build, so he is likely to be somewhat resentful of that. That's probably why he bowed out so suddenly."

"What makes you think you can convince him to come back after we pull this off?"

"I can be very persuasive when I want to be." I winked at him. "Case in point."

He narrowed his eyes at me playfully. "Hey buddy, watch it. I haven't done anything yet."

"No, but you will, and you'll do great, I have no doubt."

We were back at the hotel now and proceeded inside to the elevator. When the doors slid closed, I looked over to find Edward worrying his lip.

Realizing he was caught worrying, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "I have a few doubts. I feel a little out of my element here."

"You'll be fine. A few handshakes. I'll do most of the talking," I said, trying to reassure him. "Try not to worry. Just enjoy the food and stick by me. I'll field any possible questions. Just play it like you're feeling resigned to the merger, but grateful for the financial windfall of selling to us. Liam has a young family, so you can lean into being able to provide for them without having to live at the office."

The doors opened and we headed to my room. "Yeah, I can do that," he said with growing confidence as I swiped my keycard.

"I know you can," I responded in a reassuring tone as I led him inside, my hand on his lower back. "Are you hungry?" It was close to 7pm now, and my stomach was letting me know we'd spent too long suit-shopping and missed dinner.

"Hell yes."

"I'll order some room service."

"Do you mind if I take a shower?"

"Of course not. Anything in particular you want to eat?"

"A burger sounds nice. I don't get to eat that too often."

"You got it."

He smiled and headed for the bathroom. As I picked up the menu and listened to the spray of the water turn on, I felt bad for Edward. Meat was pricey, of course he didn't eat it much. I imagined him coming home from a long night on his corner to a frozen TV dinner and frowned. A burger wasn't good enough. That desire to take care of him came roaring back full force. I picked up the phone and ordered two steaks with au gratin potatoes and parmesan asparagus, hopeful he'd enjoy the meal. I made sure not to forget a nice, deep red wine and some ice water to go along with it.

By the time the shower turned off, the room service had arrived. I was pouring the wine when he emerged from the bathroom, his damp coppery hair slicked back from his face and clad in a white terry-cloth bathrobe the hotel provided. He looked incredibly beautiful, fresh, clean. He plopped down unceremoniously at the table, practically salivating.

Placing my hands on the finials of the silver domes, I warned, "I took some liberties with your order, I hope you don't mind."

When I lifted the dome, his eyes widened, then looked up at me with surprise and wonder. "Carlisle, this is too much!"

"No, it's exactly right. You need good food in your belly ahead of tomorrow, and I won't take no for an answer. Dig in."

He shook his head slowly in his astonishment at my actions, but dig in he did, moaning in pleasure around his fork with nearly every bite. It looked to me like this was the best meal he'd had in quite some time, which made my chest swell with pride that I could do this for him. Of course, those moans were also making other parts of me swell.

We didn't speak as we ate, instead sitting in companionable silence, and once Edward was sated, he sat back in his chair, sipping his wine as he stared at me. I couldn't quite read his expression, but his gaze pinned me to the spot, and I could think of nothing to say. So, I mimicked him, sipping my wine and staring back at him. Slowly, a smile crept onto his face, and then he was out of the chair and kneeling before me. His hand reached up and palmed my crotch, making my cock jerk and begin to harden again. He looked up at me through his long eyelashes and licked across his lower lip, his fingers moving to my zipper.

My hand came to rest over his, stopping his movement. My cock wasn't too happy as I told him, "Edward, please. That is not what I'm paying you for."

He pouted, his lip protruding, making my cock stiffen more despite my protest. "But you've already done so much for me," he cooed. "Think of it as a thank you for the amazing Italian suit you just bought me, and the delicious meal, both things you did not have to do."

"I wanted to do those things."

Gently, he shook my hand off his, then placed it back on my half-rigid cock, giving it a squeeze. "And I want to do this."

No matter how much my principles told me to stop him, I just couldn't follow through. He knew I'd given in. My zipper came down, and he pulled my cock out of my pants. Any lingering protestations died in my throat as his hot, wet mouth engulfed me, his tongue massaging my straining length.

Wet heat and delicious suction were all my brain could focus on. Lost in the push and pull of his cheeks, the rolling tightness of his throat, the constantly swirling tongue, I was teetering on the edge already. He backed off, perhaps not wanting this to end so quickly, and slid his hands under my ass to grasp the hems of my pants and underwear, smiling seductively and making my cock throb inches from his nose. I rose up slightly and he pulled them down and off my legs so that I was bared before him. A bead of precum pearled at my tip under his penetrating gaze.

His tongue reached out and licked it off before he ducked down and paid attention to my balls. Gently, he rolled one in his long fingers while licking the other one, sucking it into his mouth before popping it back out slowly. It felt amazing, and I struggled to keep my hand from going to stroke my neglected cock. Precum streamed down the sides as he paid the same attention to my other ball. I let out a tortured groan and threw back my head in frustration.

Edward purred, "Aw, poor baby. Let me help you with that."

He licked his palm and took hold of me, stroking me firmly and smoothly, in a fast rhythm. My balls were drawn up tightly now, and the fire spread throughout my groin. I knew I was done for, and moans fell from my lips unbidden. Then his tongue was lapping at my hole, and I couldn't take it. I spilled into the air, and all over his fist and forearm. My brain clouded over for a minute after the intensity of my orgasm, and my chest heaved as I sought to catch my breath.

Opening my eyes, I watched Edward lick my cum off his hand. God, it was so hot, I thought I felt my spent cock twitch again. He moved up my body until his face hovered before mine. His robe had loosened significantly, and I could see tantalizing swatches of his body. Edward's lips were so close to mine, I could smell myself on him, and I closed the minute gap, pressing my lips to his.

He drew back immediately, looking a little shocked but recovering himself quickly. Smiling, he wagged his finger at me. "Uh-uh-uh, I don't kiss."

Swallowing down my disappointment, I replied, "Right, sorry."

"It's okay." He rose to his full height. "I know I'm irresistible."

That made me chuckle, and the embarrassing moment passed. He walked over to the piano, fingering the keys lovingly.

"Do you play?" I asked, just making small talk.

"Actually, yes. Since fifth grade."

Not expecting that answer, I tried to hide my surprise that he came from a background where playing the piano would even be an opportunity for him. "Will you play something for me?"

Edward regarded the piano for a few moments, then sat down and positioned himself so he was comfortable.

The music which flowed from his fingertips touched me to my very soul. I was utterly taken aback by his ability, and I found myself pressed into the chair as the orchestrations washed over me, my ears absorbing the sound and infusing my body with it. I closed my eyes and let the music sweep me away.

All of my thoughts were focused on this beautiful creature. I couldn't help thinking how lucky I was to have found this special man out there, this literal diamond in the rough. There was one thing I knew for sure; Edward didn't belong out on the streets. There was no way he could know how to elicit music from an instrument like that if he had been born into that life. No, something had happened to put him in that position.

The boy was lost, and he needed guidance. He needed a way out of the mess he'd made of his life. And for reasons unknown to me, I felt a strong desire to be the one to help him, to give him everything he could ever ask for and more.

I wanted to know more about him, this young man who played the grand piano as beautifully as he played my body. My heart was quickly falling for him, and I knew I wouldn't be able to say goodbye when our work here was done. I vowed to somehow make him change his mind about men. I'd get him to kiss me, and then, I hoped, he would be compelled to stay with me.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** To those of you who have left me reviews, please know that each one brightens my day. Thank you for your encouragement.

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 7**

**Edward POV**

"Bro, relax. Deep breaths, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth."

I followed my friend's instructions, wishing he were here at the hotel with me to give me one of his big bear hugs before I went to this godforsaken luncheon.

"Emmett," I whined down the phone. "Why did I ever agree to this?"

"Cuz you're getting eight fucking thousand dollars for it! That's why. It'll be fine. This dude Liam's never met these people before either. He would probably feel just as nervous. They're gonna treat you with kid gloves anyway - they want what this Liam dude has."

"You're right, yeah," I agreed, willing myself to believe it. "I know you're right."

"There ya go."

Carlisle poked his head around the doorframe, motioning for me to hurry up.

"Hey, man, I gotta go now. Thanks for talking me down."

"Anytime, Ed-er-Liam."

"Haha."

"You better get used to it, _Liam."_

"Alright, alright! Bye."

Hanging up the phone, I took a moment to gather myself. My reflection in the mirror showed me a sharply dressed, dignified looking young man. But I felt nothing like him inside. I felt like a phony. But the more overpowering feeling was fear. I didn't want to let Carlisle down. There was something about the man that was different from the rest. He'd done so much for me, and who was I to him? I was some street trash to fuck and then toss out like garbage. Aro had certainly done that, and he wasn't the first by a long shot. No man had ever cared about what I felt while I serviced their needs. My needs were never noticed before Carlisle came along. And now, he had bought me expensive clothes, fed me expensive food, didn't demand sex from me, and was still going to pay me exorbitantly to commit a low-rent crime with him.

Yes, Carlisle was something different. And I liked him - he was self-assured, yet oddly reserved. It was fun to make the uptight exterior fall away and disappear. There was no denying he was handsome, his blond hair perfectly complementing those clear blue eyes, eyes you might fall into if you looked too deeply. I had almost kissed him last night. I'd forgotten myself, been swept up in the moment. His pleasure had been so great, and I actually enjoyed giving it to him. I never licked a john's asshole before, but I remembered how it felt when he'd done it to me, and I wanted to do it in return. He had a musky, earthy flavor that I wouldn't soon forget.

His blissed-out expression afterward was so endearing, I'd leaned in for the kiss, and he'd closed the gap before I could catch myself and pull back. It had only been a chaste kiss, but a nagging piece in the back of my mind wished it had been more. That part of me yearned for a deeper connection with him, but I pushed it aside as this whole strange situation manifesting in my head. I was straight, I liked girls, Carlisle was just… a curiosity.

"Come on, Edward! We don't want to be late."

Regarding myself one more time in the mirror, making sure my hair looked okay, I steeled myself and pushed those thoughts aside as I headed out the door.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Mr. MacAllister! What a pleasure to finally meet you!"

A little rat-like man was shaking my hand enthusiastically. Carlisle cringed not too subtly. This must be the conniving Jenks who Carlisle talked about with such contempt.

"Please, call me Liam."

The slick palm didn't let go, just kept pumping my hand up and down.

"I must confess," the man sniveled, "I was starting to think you didn't exist! Carlisle took so long to close the deal, I thought he'd made you up!"

A tall, fit older man with long grey hair pulled back into a ponytail practically shoved the little weasel out of his way. "Move off, Jenks!" he spat before smiling widely at me, only the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Liam, Alistair Cullen. My son has spoken many good things about you and your enterprise." I grasped his outstretched hand and tried to match the ridiculous firmness with which he shook. "Please, come inside the conference room. My secretary, Gianna, has taken great care over the menu."

Ridiculous. Who ever heard of a menu for an office lunch meeting? As I was ushered into the conference room, I glanced over my shoulder at Carlisle, who smiled and gave a slight shrug. When I entered the room, I saw a wide array of foods spread out over a long table, and I realized that when Alistair said menu, he meant that I could pick and choose what I wanted from the buffet, not a physical paper menu to order from.

There were two other men and a very tall woman already in there and we all formed a line to get food. They chit chatted with one another, and Carlisle, who stood behind me, gave my arm a brief squeeze. "How was your flight, Liam?" he asked, loudly enough that the tall woman and almost equally tall man turned to look at me.

"Really long." The two of them chuckled politely, and I joined them. "No, really, it was fine."

The woman nodded. "I heard first class on transcontinental flights is incredibly comfortable."

"Oh, yeah, the seats are great." I smiled wanly at my pathetic response before adding, "So roomy."

Extending her hand to me, I took it as she introduced herself. "I'm Senna, Chief Financial Officer of The Cullen Group."

The blond man behind her shook my hand next. "And I'm Peter, Chief Operating Officer."

"And I'm Liam, Chief of Nothing Anymore," I retorted, and immediately regretted my joke when I saw the strained look on Carlisle's face.

"Oh, come now," Senna cooed, playfully swatting my arm. "You'll be Chief of a Pile of Cash when you're done here."

I couldn't help but smile. Trust a CFO to only think about the money. Still, I let her think she'd appeased me. The line had moved and the buffet was before me. I grabbed a variety of things, from meats to cheeses to bread rolls and little cakes. Sitting down at the table to the right of Alistair, Carlisle on my other side, I glanced around the table at the other plates. They weren't piled nearly as high as mine, and I looked down at my own plate, filled to the rim, with embarrassment.

"Eat! You've just been on an airplane for hours," Carlisle prodded. Glancing around the table, everyone was nodding, unperturbed by my little mountain, so I started in, taking care to eat delicately and not embarrass Carlisle further.

Carlisle's father went around the table, making introductions. The other member of the board I hadn't met in the buffet line was Amun, a hard-nosed looking man of Arabian descent who was the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Knowing he was trying to take Carlisle's place in the company, I frowned at Jenks when he was introduced and he narrowed his eyes in return.

Finally, Alistair turned to me. "Liam, I know how difficult it must be to give up something you've worked so hard for. Please know that the company will be in good hands and its reputation will not be tarnished in any way. I trust the payout will be sufficient for you and your family?"

Nodding, I fed him a line Carlisle had coached me with. "I'm glad my family will be able to live comfortably without me having to work all the time."

"That's the spirit!" Alistair boomed as he slapped me on the shoulder a little too hard. Then, he leaned over and pressed a button on the intercom in the middle of the table.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?" a feminine voice crackled though.

"Gianna, please bring us some coffee."

"Right away, Mr. Cullen."

Alistair resumed talking and a few minutes later, what can only be described as a buxom blonde entered, opening the door with her hip as she carried a tray with coffee supplies in one hand and a large carafe in the other. She put the sugar and creamer packets on the table, along with a paper cup holding thin red stirrers, and proceeded around the table, pouring coffee for everyone. I couldn't take my eyes off of her cleavage as she made her way toward me. Her large breasts swung gently as she moved, and my cock was hardening uncomfortably. When she got to me, I could smell her light, floral perfume mixed with her sweat, and her breasts brushed against my arm with enough force to ensure I knew it was purposeful, causing her to spill some coffee on the table.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she breathed as she reached for a napkin and dabbed at my lap, focusing her attention on my straining cock.

Nothing had spilt onto my pants, and we both knew it, so she couldn't really keep touching me. Our eyes met and she squeezed the head of my cock through my pants before drawing her hand back and mopping at the edge of the table before cleaning up the surface.

"It's okay," I managed to get out without my voice breaking. She moved on to the head of the table to pour Alistair his coffee. Her ass bent far too close to me and I couldn't help but look. A swift kick at my feet under the table tore my attention away. Carlisle was frowning at me, and I tried to look contrite. Staring down at my food, I willed my cock to settle down and filed Gianna under 'fox' in my spank bank for another time.

"Gianna here will contact the bank and get the check drawn up for you. I think we can have the papers ready to sign tomorrow afternoon. Would that be suitable for you, Liam?" Senna asked me.

Swallowing hard, thankful for the distraction from the luscious female form beside me, I nodded and smiled tightly.

"So," Jenks began, "Where in Ireland are you from?"

Caught off guard, I said the first city that came to mind. "Edinburgh."

Jenks' brow creased in confusion and he snorted. "That's in Scotland."

SHIT. Mortified on the inside, I forced out a laugh. "Just kidding around, heh. Trying to catch you out," I teased, trying not to think about the fact that catching me out was exactly what Jenks was trying to do. The rest of the table tittered at the joke, but Jenks didn't let things lie.

"You got me," he said with false mirth. "So, where did you really grow up."

Praying I was in the right country this time, I replied, "Dublin."

He clapped his little hands together. "Oh, I've been there! City boy, eh? Don't you just love St. Stephen's Green?"

Geez, this guy didn't give up. Sweat started to form from my nervousness at being caught. At all cost, I avoided looking at Carlisle as I played along. "Oh, yes. The rolling green hills, and the smell of the peat, second to none."

Carlisle made a little involuntary strangled noise and I knew I'd fucked up.

Jenks mad-dogged me. "I don't remember seeing any hills or peat in St. Stephen's Green."

I shrugged. "Well, you must not have looked in the right place."

The sniveling man narrowed his eyes so they were little slits in his fat round face. "Funny, I don't detect an accent."

"I'm originally from Chicago," I said quickly, injecting a little bit of truth into the lies. "My parents moved us to Ireland when I was eight." Frankly, I was impressed I came up with that so fast.

Peter cut in, looking uncomfortable with Jenks' line of questioning, effectively saving my ass.

"So, Liam, I'm curious. What will you do now that you'll have more free time?" he asked cordially, moving away from the topic of my supposed upbringing.

I shrugged and said offhandedly, "Travel. Renovate my house."

"Humph, I thought you lived in the city. Mostly apartment blocks there, isn't it," Jenks scoffed.

I sighed in annoyance. "I live in a suburb of Dublin. I'm sure you've not heard of it. I figured Dublin was sufficient enough information for you."

Jenks threw his hands up in a defensive posture. "Hey, just trying to make conversation. But now I'm curious. What is your town called?"

Carlisle cut in then, the fact he was barely reigning in his anger evident in his tone. "Jenks, leave the poor man alone. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to flirt with him."

Jenks and I both turned bright red as Alistair guffawed. "My son is right, back off, Jasper. Carlisle, why don't you take Liam to his hotel." Addressing me, he continued, "I'm sure you're exhausted and could use some rest."

"Thank you," I said, shaking his hand. Glancing around the table, I smiled. "It was nice meeting you all."

The rest chorused some goodbyes as Carlisle and I rose. Quickly, Carlisle ushered me into the hall and down toward the exit. Gianna gave me a coy look from behind the front desk as we passed and I shot her a wink behind Carlisle's back.

Once we were back in his car, Carlisle gripped the steering wheel so tight I thought it might crack from the pressure. "Fucking Jenks," he seethed.

Nibbling my lower lip, I asked, "Do you think he suspects?"

"I don't know. He's hard to read. He might have just been needling you for fun. Asshole."

"Well, your dad didn't seem to pay much attention to him. I think he believes I am Liam."

"Me too." Recovering himself, he smiled brightly at me. "Nice save in there, telling him you moved to Dublin as a boy." His hand made its way to the back of my neck, and he stroked his fingers along the hair at the nape, which tickled, but also sent a wave of warmth through my body.

"Well done, Edward," he murmured. Then he seemed to realize he was touching me kind of intimately, and his hand dropped away.

I just smiled and he put the car in gear, driving away. The warmth of his hand remained burned into my skin for the rest of the drive back to the hotel.


	8. Chapter 8

Lost Boy

Chapter 8

Carlisle POV

After the luncheon, Edward and I returned to the hotel to unwind. Jenks had given him the Spanish Inquisition, but otherwise, everything went well - Senna seemed to have taken a particular shine to him, and my father had been on his best behavior, even putting his minion in his place. Of course, I didn't miss the assessment Edward gave Gianna. She obviously aroused him, which put a bit of a damper on my hopes of him showing an interest in me. However, Gianna was the very embodiment of pin-up girl, it was why my father hired her, and there were precious few men who didn't take notice of her ample bosom.

We watched a movie and ordered room service for dinner. Afterwards, I suggested we go down and get a drink at the hotel piano bar. It was so easy to sit with him, not really needing to make small talk, but still finding things to talk about. We chatted lightheartedly over our first drink, while sometimes falling silent to listen to the pianist.

"Want another?" Edward asked, indicating my nearly empty drink.

"Definitely."

He rose with a smile. "K, I'll be right back."

While I waited for him, I tried to enjoy the music. The bar was not very crowded, but Edward had been gone a while now. Certainly, longer than it should take to grab two more drinks. Had he ditched me and run off? I got up from my seat swiftly, jostling the table as I rose. Heading for the bar, I saw he was speaking to another man, our drinks sitting on the counter in front of him.

Getting closer, I saw that he wasn't comfortable with this man. His body was tensed and leaned away, not to mention the deep frown on his face. The other man was a little taller than him with a long black ponytail. He looked like a classic perv. Edward still hadn't noticed me even though I was pretty close by, so I stood behind a shrubbery and peaked through the leaves, listening to their conversation.

"That's your whole job." The man huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You knew what you were getting into, so it was hardly an assault."

"Really? Because you made sure to make it as painful as possible for me."

A flash of anger raced through me. This man hurt Edward?

"What is pleasure without a little pain?"

"You fucking tore me," Edward spat, and I saw red. My hands balled into fists as I struggled to remain hidden.

"I am sorry about that," the shithead cooed. "Won't you let me make it up to you?"

Edward laughed hollowly. "Fuck no. Besides, I'm with someone."

The man glanced at the drinks, then back to Edward. "I'll pay you double."

Edward reached for the drinks. "I said, no, I'm with someone. I'm not working tonight."

The guy grabbed Edward's arm then, and Edward struggled to pull away, the drink in his hand sloshing out of the glass. I couldn't control myself and stepped out from behind the plant, grabbing the guy by the shirt collar and punching him in the face. He was on the ground before I even knew what I was doing, and Edward stared at me open mouthed.

"What the fuck is your problem, guy?" the man cried out, blood pouring from his nose. I knelt next to him and grabbed his ponytail, yanking it so he was forced to look me in the eyes. "No means no, prick. Now back the fuck off and never lay a hand on that boy again."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but then reevaluated the extent of my anger and relented. "Alright, sorry, man."

I stood up and grabbed Edward by the hand, leading him away, leaving the drinks behind. I marched us right out of the bar and to the elevators. Pacing as I waited for the elevators to arrive, I was partially concerned that the guy would decide to come out and continue fighting. Edward just stood there with his arms wrapped around himself. The elevator finally arrived and we hurried inside, and I pushed the 'door close' button repeatedly. When the doors finally shut, we both breathed a sigh of relief, although Edward still held himself tightly.

Once we were finally in the penthouse, I grabbed him and replaced his arms with mine, hugging him just as tight. His thin body melted against me and I held on for dear life, just trying to give him some strength, to know he wasn't alone, to know someone out there wanted to protect him.

His face was turned in toward the crook of my neck, and his breath tickled my flesh as he valiantly tried to hold back from crying.

My emotions battled between rage that that man hurt Edward and then tried to do it again, attempting to kidnap him, and sadness that Edward was even in such a position to experience this in the first place. I wanted to comfort him. I wanted him to know how it felt when someone takes care of you.

I drew back a few inches, letting my arms fall. Edward's own arms immediately took their place, and he looked at me with watery eyes. "Oh, Edward," I whispered, once again taken with his beauty. Moving closer to him so our torsos almost touched, I wound my fingers through the back of his hair and went in for a kiss. He stiffened, but didn't pull away this time. He didn't exactly reciprocate though, so I didn't push it, just moved along his jaw and down his neck to the collarbone. He gasped; I don't know if it was surprise or pleasure, or maybe both. My hands roamed his upper body, dipping under his shirt and raising it to bare his heated skin. The bulge in his pants told me this wasn't entirely unwanted. If he stopped me, I would, immediately. But if he didn't, well, then I would get to complete the goal I'd set out for.

Moving even closer, I put my hand on his zipper, pulling it down as I slid my body against his until I was down on my knees, making him shudder. Then his cock was revealed me, right in front of my face. He hadn't worn underwear, and his rigid length throbbed once as I stared at his cock jutting out from the fly of his trousers. The head glistened with his secretions, and I needed to taste him. I wrapped my lips around him and sucked, sliding my tongue along the underside, my eyes rolling back at the taste of him. I moaned and he cursed, treading his fingers through my hair, but not pushing me away, just holding himself steady, I supposed.

Then, I went to town on his cock, trying to emulate what he'd done to me the other night, but also using some tricks from my own wheelhouse. Edward was a mess above me, his fingers holding on to my hair so tightly I thought he'd rip some out, and his thighs trembling as he struggled to remain upright under my ministrations. Moans and curses flew out of his mouth, and I knew he was almost there when his cock expanded in my mouth. Suddenly, my tongue was awash with his essence, which I savored on my tongue a little before swallowing it down.

Letting his softening length slip free, I stood up. His eyes had been closed but he opened them when I was before him, his hooded gaze looking like lust satisfied. "Fuck, Carlisle. That was incredible."

He could have been lying, I'm sure he lied to men about this very thing many times before, but I didn't think he was lying to me. Maybe I was gullible, but it really felt like he was being sincere with me. I just smiled and led him the few yards to the bedroom. We both laid down on the bed, over the covers, Edward having tucked himself back into his pants on the way back in.

We laid on our backs and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. The air seemed heavy with questions without clear answers, and it appeared that we both were getting caught up in the cloud.

So, I asked him something else I'd been wondering about. "Edward, how did a guy like you end up on the street?"

"A guy like me?"

"Yeah, you don't belong out there, I can tell. The way you talk, the way you carried yourself and thought fast in that meeting, the way you can play the piano, there's no way you grew up on the street."

Edward was silent, just staring at the ceiling. I turned and watched his profile as he stared straight up. Eventually, I filled the silence with what I was dreading might be the answer.

"Did your parents...die?"

To my surprise, Edward laughed. "It would be easier to explain if they had, but no. They didn't." He heaved a sigh and turned on his side to mirror me as he told me his story, but he didn't make eye contact, preferring to stare down toward my chest.

"You're right, of course. I didn't grow up on the street. I was upper middle class, living in Chicago. My mother always admired my long fingers and got me into piano from a young age. That made me a music nerd, and the kids at school would bully me." He took a deep breath before continuing. "So, to escape from that, I became the jokester. I pulled lots of pranks, and the kids all loved me, but the teachers and principals, not so much. I got kicked out of a bunch of schools. The private boy's school was the last straw, and they were going to send me to military school, so I ran away. I stole my father's wallet, got a train ticket and came out here, as far away as I could get with what tickets were available. Once I arrived in LA, I discovered he'd cancelled all his cards, and there wasn't much cash, so I ended up hungry and dirty and homeless in an alley. That's when Emmett found me."

"Emmett?"

He finally lifted his face and met my eyes. "Yeah, he found me crying in the alley and took pity on me, I guess. He took me home and taught me how to do this. It's what he does for a living, and he said it paid well, which it does. He showed me what to do and how to take care of myself out there."

I felt an odd twinge of jealousy that Edward seemed to be rather close to this other man. "Sounds like you were lucky to find him."

"I was. He's not a drug addict or anything, and he's straight too, so he knew the challenges I'd need to overcome being with guys for the first time."

The jealousy was not letting up and even though I didn't really want to know, I had to ask, "Did you and he…"

"No, no," he said quickly, "but he did show me how to...prepare myself."

Trying to ignore what "showing" might imply, I simply said, "That's smart."

"It's necessary. Especially if you get a guy like the one downstairs." He looked away, remembering.

"Does that happen a lot? Guys like that?"

"Sometimes. Not too often though. Usually guys are not as brutal as that. But you never know." He shrugged and met my eyes again. "There's no one like you though, Carlisle." A grin spread across his face. "I must say, that was the best goddamn blow job I ever had."

Blushing deeply, embarrassed and pleased at the same time, I whispered, "Thank you."

Bringing his face closer to mine, he looked into my eyes. "No, thank you. Thank you for taking this chance on me, for believing in me. After this job, I don't think I'll have to hustle anymore. That money is going to turn my life around. So, thank you for choosing me."

We gazed at each other for a few moments. Our faces were so close, his soft lips so near, I couldn't help myself and closed the gap between us, pressing my lips against his, expecting him to pull away. But he didn't. He returned the pressure and increased it. Edward needed to lead this kiss, I knew, so I wasn't going to push anything. Our kiss was chaste for a few more moments, but then Edward angled his head more and swiped his tongue along the seal of my lips. I immediately parted them, and grasped the nape of his neck as his tongue massaged mine. An intoxicating mix of whiskey, soda, and male invaded my senses and Edward's hands were like octopi roaming anywhere he could reach. Though it had waned a bit during our conversation, I was already aroused from the blow job I'd given him, and now, sharing this kiss with him, knowing that he never kissed a man before, I was ready to blow. To eliminate the embarrassment of coming in my pants in response to a simple kiss, I rutted against him until I came a few short moments later. Drawing back, Edward smiled shyly, pressing his thigh against my damp crotch.

"Goodnight, Carlisle," he whisper-teased before rising from the bed. He turned and gave me a soft smile before heading out the door for his pull-out bed in the living room, leaving me to marvel at what just happened, and also to hope for a future, perhaps foolishly. It would be hard to fall asleep tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

Lost Boy

Chapter 9

Edward POV

The following day, Carlisle drove us back to the office for the signing of the papers. As he drove, I drifted off into my own thoughts, and the confrontation from the previous night came back to me full force.

_I had just been given my drinks and was about to bring them back to Carlisle, when a breathy voice came from right beside me, as if from nowhere._

"_Hey there."_

_I turned to look at him and my mouth went dry. It was that sadistic dude Aro. Fuck._

"_Remember me? We had some fun a couple of nights ago."_

_I felt my face tighten. "It was not fun."_

_He chuckled darkly. "Oh, come on. Let's go again."_

"_No way in hell," I shot back, "My ass is still recovering from your assault."_

"_Assault?" he seethed. "I paid you to take my cock. That's your whole job. You knew what you were getting into, so it was hardly an assault."_

"_Really? Because you made sure to make it as painful as possible for me." _

_His brow furrowed and then he smiled. "What is pleasure without a little pain?"_

"_You fucking tore me!" I spat, keeping my voice quiet despite my anger. I didn't want anyone else at the bar to overhear._

"_I am sorry about that. Why don't I make it up to you?" _

_I laughed hollowly. "I'm with someone."_

"_I'll pay you double."_

_This guy was a real piece of work. "I said no. I'm with someone. I'm not working tonight."_

Then Aro had grabbed my arm and my emotions changed from anger to fear in an instant. God knew what this guy would do to me if I let him take me with him, and I struggled hard against his clutching grasp. Aro had surprising strength, and I thought I might lose this battle, but Carlisle rushed up suddenly and socked him in the face. I heard the sickening crunch when his fist connected with Aro's nose. Served that fucker right. I just stared in shock until Carlisle dragged me away.

Once we were up in the room again, Carlisle had given me a mind-blowing blow job, I told him about my past, and then we'd kissed. He had initiated it, but he didn't make any moves to deepen it - he left that up to me. And I found myself responding without even thinking, just becoming intoxicated by the scent of him and needing to know if he tasted the way he smelled. It was a kiss like no other I'd experienced before - Carlisle's lips were soft but firm, and his tongue was stronger than any woman's. I realized I really enjoyed the scratch of Carlisle's stubble against me skin.

Carlisle came in his pants from that kiss. I shouldn't have gone along with it. I knew he'd been wanting to kiss me, but I didn't expect it to go there. I was beginning to get concerned that Carlisle was forming an attachment to me, and it made me nervous. I really didn't want to hurt him, but I just couldn't see him that way. I may have been able to enjoy gay sex for work, but I wanted a female in my private life, one with soft boobs and a naturally slick place to nestle into. In any case, it seemed wise to be more careful around Carlisle, more reserved, so he wouldn't feel too let down when this was all over.

Which it was going to be very shortly. As soon as I signed those papers (and received my phony check from the Cullen Group), my job would be done. Carlisle would write me my real check and I would go start a bank account with it and rebuild my life. I should have been more excited about this, but a part of me cared about Carlisle's feelings, and I wanted to stay in touch somehow. I just wasn't sure it would be possible if he had a crush on me that I couldn't return.

"What are you thinking about?"

I shook my head and shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing."

Sitting at a red traffic light, Carlisle leveled me with a long stare, like he knew I was thinking about him and was willing me to admit it. When I didn't say anything more, he asked, "Are you nervous?"

" Nah, Jenks won't be there, right?"

"Just Senna and my father."

"Easy."

We didn't speak again until we arrived. The silence wasn't as comfortable to me as it had been before. The elephant in the car was that this all was over once I signed those papers. But would it be? There was a nagging thought that kept whispering; I didn't want to never see Carlisle again. I liked him. But I didn't want to lead him on either, that would be cruel.

As we walked through the lobby of the office building toward his father's office, Carlisle carried himself confidently. But when I looked over at him, his eyes were far away. I'd give anything to know what he was thinking about. When we exited the elevator and started to walk down the hallway, Alistair's voice boomed from the door of his office.

"Carlisle, a word?"

Carlisle and I turned to see his father beckoning for him. Carlisle heaved a sigh and turned to face me. "I'll only be a moment, Liam. Do you mind waiting here? Then I'll take you in to sign the papers."

"Sure, no problem."

I watched as Carlisle made his way over to his father and disappeared into The Cullen Group entrance. Left alone in the wide, poorly lit hallway, I moved toward the floor to ceiling windows, taking in the magnificent view of the Los Angeles skyline from twelve stories up. A light brush of a hand on the back of my arm startled me out of my admiration. Unthinking, I flinched in surprise and quickly turned to find Gianna, looking lovely as ever, standing behind me, far too closely.

"Are you going back to Ireland now?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at me.

"Tonight, yes," I replied, my throat tight as my eyes got caught by her deep cleavage.

"Before you go, I need to...show you something."

She took hold of my hand and looked up and down the hallway, confirming no one was there. Then she pulled me into the men's restroom a few yards away, shut the door, and sauntered up to me, popping open the buttons of her blouse and slowly revealing her lacy, skimpy bra. I could see her large dusky nipples through the fabric and my cock hardened quickly.

"Do you like what you see?"

I could only nod dumbly.

"I noticed you couldn't take your eyes off me at the meeting yesterday. Well, I think you're hot too, so I thought I'd give you a little parting gift." She ran her hand down her body until it came to rest between her legs. Looking back at her face, her lips were parted, her eyes hooded, and she looked ready for the taking.

Swallowing hard, I couldn't think of a reason not to take what she was offering. It had been so long since I'd gotten my dick wet, and I found myself powerless to resist her invitation. My cock was leaking, certainly leaving a damp patch on my trousers, as she pressed her soft body against mine. Grabbing her waist, I turned her around and leaned her against the wall of the row of toilet cubicles. She quickly lifted her legs and wrapped them around my waist.

"It has to be quick," I whispered in her ear. " Carlisle will come looking for me."

"I'm ready now, baby," she crooned, rubbing her crotch against mine. "Fuck me with your thick Irish cock."

She kissed me then and I let her, deepening it with my tongue and emulating what my dick was about to do to her. She slipped a hand between us and unzipped my trousers, pulling my cock from the boxer briefs and pressing it against her slick folds. The shock that she was without underwear made me throb and I groaned as I sank inside her heat.

We settled into a rhythm, fast and deep, our moans echoing against the bathroom walls. My balls were drawing up toward my body. I was close but I couldn't bring myself to care - it felt so damn good to be fucking someone after so long. An image popped into my mind, of Carlisle in my arms, against the wall, speared by my cock, his tight ass surrounding me. My cock was on the verge of exploding when I was startled by the restroom door slamming open.

"Edward!"

I froze in mid-pump at the sound of Carlisle's shocked and angry voice, my orgasm receding from the precipice.

"Edward?" Gianna questioned angrily. "Who the hell are you talking about, Carlisle? Get the fuck out!" Gianna yelled, still impaled on my waning erection.

I gently let Gianna's legs slip down until she was standing and I stuffed myself back in my trousers before turning to look at Carlisle. His face was etched with anger but his eyes held something different. Betrayal.

"Ed-," he began, then stopped himself. "What the hell are you doing, Liam? We have papers to sign. Gianna, leave us please."

Gianna shoved past him as she hastily buttoned up her blouse, giving him the finger on her way out the door.

For a few moments, we just stared at each other, Carlisle's shock and anger slowly ebbing away, replaced with hurt. When he spoke, his voice was strained.

"Edward, how could you?"

Annoyed by his interruption and his anger, I shot back, "How could I what? Fuck a girl? I told you over and over, Carlisle. I'm. Not. Gay!"

Carlisle gave an involuntary gasp. "I... I just thought…"

I softened my tone a little. "You thought wrong. I'm sorry, Carlisle. I appreciate what you've done for me, but it will never be what you want it to be. This was just a job. I've always been straight."

Carlisle sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes got glossy. I swallowed hard, hoping he wouldn't cry. He looked like he might, but he composed himself and pulled a folded slip of paper from his back pocket. He held it with two hands for a moment, staring down at it before unfolding it.

"Edward, I no longer require your services. I don't want you to come back to the hotel." He took a few steps forward and held out the paper to me.

Taking it, I realized it was a check. I looked up at him quickly, confusion creasing my brow. "Carlisle, I haven't signed the papers yet."

His shoulders were slumped and he wouldn't meet my eyes. "I don't care. Just take the money and get out of my sight."

"But what are you going to tell the others?" I pressed him.

"Does it really matter to you? Just. Get. Out."

Shoving the check into my front trouser pocket, I glared at him as I stalked past, slamming the door wide open. It should have slammed into the wall outside from the strength with which I pushed it, but the door caught on something softer. I heard a gasp and a pained groan as I walked through, and when the door swung closed behind me, I saw that Gianna had been behind the door, her hand cupped over her nose which dripped with blood. She stared at me wide-eyed, but my glare just grew icier as I stared down the eavesdropper before stalking away, concerned Carlisle might follow me. As angry as I was about Carlisle's reaction, I hoped Gianna wouldn't say anything about what she heard.

The long bus ride back to my neighborhood gave me plenty of time to get my head together. Or try to. My thoughts had changed from feelings of anger that Carlisle had burst in like that and embarrassed me, and disappointment that I didn't get to finish with Gianna. Now, they were consumed with Carlisle and what I'd done to him.

I felt incredibly stupid for allowing myself to be seduced by that girl. Being inside her was definitely amazing, I missed the squeeze and slide of wet warmth on my shaft. Blow jobs were great, but being inside someone else, their body pressed against yours, their hot breath ghosting over your neck, nothing compares. But I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. I couldn't help wondering what Carlisle would feel like wrapped around my cock. The thought made me even harder, the coil in my belly tightening, about to burst through me, and I had pummeled into her, harder, faster. And then, Carlisle's voice - strained, pained - and his face - such anger, such hurt.

My heart constricted at the memory, and the bus had reached my stop. I clutched my chest as I crossed the street in the direction of the apartment. I felt things when I had slept with Carlisle that I didn't feel when hooking up with this girl. I stopped walking and leaned against the brick wall of the building next to me. Realization crashed over me - I didn't want to lose him. But I didn't want a relationship with a man...did I? I'd thought of Carlisle while fucking Gianna— what did that say about me? Was I actually gay? I felt panic start to rise in my chest, and I thought I might have a full-on attack, but the nearby church bells pulled me out of the wormhole I was falling into.

They tolled four o'clock, and I moved on toward home. Emmett would surely be there, maybe just waking up for his night shift on the street. When I arrived home, I wound up on the couch next to Emmett, telling him what had happened over the last few days. I told him everything, the near disastrous luncheon, the encounter with Aro, Carlisle's obviously growing feelings for me, the kiss, and then my dalliance with Gianna that ruined everything. Finally, I admitted I hadn't even finished the job, but Carlisle paid me anyway.

Emmett listened to everything and never interrupted. When I went quiet, he sucked in a deep breath and let it out on a whistle as he sank back into the cushions, resting his arms across the back of the couch.

"Wow, Edward, you really did a number on this guy."

Rubbing my face in my hands, I sighed. "I know. I didn't mean to hurt him."

"I don't know if fucking a chick in the bathroom of the office was the best idea you ever had."

"Yeah, thanks. No shit. I already feel guilty."

Emmett wasn't fazed by my abruptness. "Hmmm, well, maybe you should feel guilty. You might not want a romantic relationship with the guy, but he was trying to help you get out of this life."

"Fuck, Emmett, I know! Why are you rubbing it in?"

He sighed and crossed his leg at the ankle over his other knee. "Cuz you look like shit, bro." He gestured vaguely in my direction. "I think you care about this dude more than you want to admit."

Grimacing, I asked through clenched teeth, "What makes you say that? I haven't let him fuck me again."

Emmett gave me a pointed look. "You kissed him, Edward. You kissed him, but you're straight. Kissing is reserved for girls. And yet, you kissed him." Why did he have to keep repeating the word kissed! When I didn't answer, he continued, "Did you like it?"

I did like it, but I couldn't say it out loud. Instead I looked down at my hands. Emmett could see the truth in my face and in my lack of response though. He sighed and grabbed my shoulder, squeezing it gently, supportively.

"You don't need to label yourself, Edward. You can care about someone for who they are, not what's between their legs."

Shaking his hand off my shoulder, I stood up from the couch. I didn't have a response, and the way the conversation was going was freaking me out. Seeing the check on the coffee table, I picked it up. Eight thousand dollars, made out to cash. I realized then that Carlisle didn't know my last name. I wondered if the bank would even allow me to open an account with a check like this. I noticed the address in the top left corner said San Francisco. Carlisle wasn't even based in LA. I'd probably never see him again. If I wanted to find him, I'd have to go north, but was the address his home, or another office? Why was I even thinking of following him? My head started to pound with a stress migraine.

"I'm gonna go to bed."

Emmett nodded slowly. "Ok, Eddie, I get it. Take care of yourself. Think about what I said, though."

I nodded back and headed for my room, drawing the curtains to make the room as dark as it could be for late afternoon. Stripping away my Liam clothes, I crawled under the covers in only my shorts and did my best to shut off my mind and not think about Carlisle's brokenhearted expression as I tried to get some sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Deepest apologies for the long delay. Real life got serious for a hot minute there. I had to find bits and pieces of time to write this, so it's not my best. In fact, I'm really not happy with it, but I wanted to get on with the story and not make you all wait any longer! So, my apologies if this chapter feels disjointed.

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 10**

**Carlisle POV**

It had been two days since I caught Edward with his pants down, quite literally. His indiscretion had hurt me badly. Worse than I could have imagined. I thought I hadn't grown attached, that I'd be mature enough to walk away when our agreement had been completed, but I was dead wrong.

He'd warned me. Over and over, he warned me that he wasn't really into guys. The pain I was feeling, the immense hurt, it was all my fault. I dared to think I could be different, that he would see how well we could work together, but it was a fantasy. A fool's errand.

I'd also paid him. He didn't want to accept the money, I could tell. Edward was an inherently good person; I knew he didn't want to take money for a job unfinished. But I was not a vindictive person. I may have been hurt by catching him fucking Gianna, but truthfully, he had a right to fuck whoever he wanted. It was my fault I had allowed myself to fall for a straight man. Even if I wasn't entirely sure he was straight. But HE believed that, and that's what mattered. Anyway, I paid him because I didn't want to see him on the street anymore. I wanted him to do something with his life, and be safe and happy, even if he wasn't going to be with me. Aro was proof of what can and does happen on the street, and Edward didn't deserve that. I gave him the check and watched him storm off in anger, leaving me to clean up the mess of my own making.

After he'd stormed away, I had the unenviable task of informing my father and Senna that he'd left the building while my father had pulled me aside to make a few final adjustments to the contract. Luckily, my father blamed himself for not appointing Jenks as Liam's babysitter, therefore allowing Liam a chance for second thoughts and escape. I quickly vowed to them that I would try to hunt him down and convince him to return.

Instead, I went back to the empty hotel room and mourned my failed relationship. The relationship that was only in my head apparently, despite our intimacy and despite our passionate kiss that I couldn't believe was an act of his part. I spent the day curled up on the bed, unable and unwilling to eat or shower, or do anything but wallow in the misery of being alone once again.

Unable to sleep, I arrived back at the office at the crack of dawn, well before anyone else would be there aside from the security guard. As I sat at my desk trying to figure out what to do to salvage the acquisition for a third time, I found myself realizing that I didn't want to salvage the acquisition. I didn't want to purchase people's dreams, pull their life's work out from under them in the name of money and career advancement, all in an effort to line our pockets and make my father more powerful. That wasn't who I was.

A knock on my door surprised me out of my thoughts and I glanced at the clock. Still too early for the others to arrive, it was an hour before we usually opened the doors for business. Curious, I bid the person entrance. It was my father's secretary, the little whore who seduced my Edward.

Gianna was dressed as enticingly as ever, but her face was marred by a giant deep purple bruise over the bridge of her nose.

"May I?" she asked, gesturing to the chair across my desk and sitting down before I could say anything.

"What the hell happened to your face?" I asked rudely, still angry that she'd fucked Edward.

She shot me a pointed glare. "Your boyfriend happened."

Dread spread throughout my body, I felt it down to my toes. How did she know I was involved with him? I thought I had hidden my horror and put on a decent performance when I caught them in the act. I feigned surprise. "What? I don't have a boyfriend."

She laughed hollowly. "Please, I heard your little lover's spat after you very rudely interrupted us in the bathroom. Edward, was it?"

"He's not my lover," I insisted through gritted teeth.

"Right, right. But I did hear you pay him off while I was still outside the door. So, he's, what, a fucking hooker?"

I didn't answer, just shot her a withering glare, to which her smile grew wider, and she sat back in the chair, crossing one leg over her opposite knee as she twirled a lock of hair in her fingers.

"I'm sure Alistair would be interested to know that Liam McAllister was never actually here, and his own son was trying to pull one over on him. And paying a man for sex while he's at it!" Her eyebrows rose as she looked at me.

My voice was steely. "I did not pay him for sex," I lied.

"Oh, okay," she replied, disbelieving. "But you still paid him to commit fraud. Not sure which is worse really." Her smirk spread across her face.

Sighing, I gave in. She had me over a barrel, and there was nothing I could do about it. "What is it you want, Gianna."

Grinning ear to ear, she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. "I want double what you gave him." I blanched, but she continued. "You give me that, and I won't say a word. But if you don't, I'll tell your father that 'Liam' was a fraud AND your fuck buddy."

Seething with anger at her demand, I whipped my checkbook out from its place inside the desk. I'd write her a check to shut her up, but she didn't know how much I had paid him, so I wrote the check for six thousand dollars. I made a show of looking like it pained me to write it, ripped it from the book, and handed it over.

She snatched it from my hand and grinned like a kid in a candy store, her tongue peeking out as she smiled widely at the amount. Folding it up, she tucked it into her bra as she rose.

"You better watch yourself, Carlisle. It's a dangerous game you're playing with your father's company." With that she left, shutting the door behind her, leaving me feeling more used and defeated than I had ten minutes before.

xxxxxxx

After a week spent pretending to track down Liam to appease my father (Gianna had been keeping her mouth shut as promised, thankfully) and failing miserably at putting Edward into the back of my mind, I received a bank statement in the mail, revealing the check I'd given Edward had not been cashed. This made me irrationally angry. What was it all for if he wasn't even going to try to better his situation? If he hadn't cashed the check, then he was bound to be back on the street— how else was he going to keep surviving?

Barely considering the potential consequences to my actions, I hopped in my car, determined to find him and demand that he accepts the money I'd given him. Anger and disappointment warred for dominance in my mind, and my emotional state was unstable at best. Underneath all of that, I tried to ignore the soaring of my heart at the thought of seeing Edward again. The sight of him would be balm on the empty space in my soul he'd left behind, and even as I admonished myself for continuing to feel this way about a man who didn't return my feelings, I couldn't bring myself to banish the emotion. It was probably unwise of me to seek him out while feeling so unstable, but I simply couldn't help myself. I had to see him.

He shone like a beacon in the darkness as I pulled up to the corner opposite his. He wasn't looking my way, just leaning against his lamp post with a cigarette dangling from his lips, wearing the same outfit he'd worn the first time I'd picked him up. My cock twitched at the beauty of him, and I willed it to settle down as I exited the car and locked it with the key fob. He looked my way when the alarm beeped, his mouth dropping open in surprise, the cigarette falling to the ground as I crossed the street. He recovered from his shock fairly quickly, crossing his arms and glowering at me as I approached.

"New policy," he ground out, his jaw clenched tightly. "No seconds, or thirds. One time only."

His words hurt and I cringed, but I soldiered on with my purpose. "I didn't come for that, Edward." His face fell a little before he hid behind his steely expression once more. "I want to know why you're still doing this. Why didn't you cash the check?"

Edward shrank back slightly, his arms tightening around himself. "I didn't feel right about it."

I sighed deeply. This boy was too principled for his own good. "Please, Edward, take the money."

His entire countenance changed then, and he threw his arms down to his sides, hands clenched into fists. "No, Carlisle! God, why the fuck do you even care?"

"I don't know, because I do, Edward! You're a good person, evidenced by your stubborn refusal to accept the money you've earned!" I shot back, struggling to keep my own voice from rising.

"I didn't earn it," he answered coldly. "Now if you don't mind, you're killing my business."

"Edward, please, come with me and we'll talk more. This isn't you."

His body shook with the force of his anger. "You don't even know me! Fuck off and leave me alone!"

Rejection swelled in my chest and I felt my shoulders slump. Crossing his arms over his chest again, Edward knew he'd won for now and turned his body away from me, pointedly looking in the opposite direction, indicating quite clearly he was done with me. Reluctantly, I shrank back and crossed the street to go back to my car. There was a man with greasy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail leaned against my driver's side door. He looked like a junkie.

Leering at me, he asked, "Can I get a ride?"

"Fuck the fuck off, Garrett!" Edward shouted from his corner.

Garrett looked over at him and rolled his eyes, but he got up off the car and went back to his lamppost. I quickly got into the car and started the ignition. As I drove away, I took one last look at Edward in the rearview mirror. I didn't miss his face start to crumple as I left.

xxxx

The next morning, I walked into the office to find Gianna smiling prettily at me. It filled me with a weird sensation, but I ignored her and swept past the desk, only to be faced with Jenks. His expression was the opposite of Gianna's, sneering at me with venom. His face changed to a grin when I met his eyes and he chirped, "Fare thee well, Carlisle!"

No clue what he was talking about, I didn't really care, and I sneered back at him as I pushed my office door open. There, behind my desk, sat my father. The sneer dropped off my face as my stomach sank. It made sense now, Gianna and Jenks' odd greetings.

My father knew.

His steely gaze met mine as I shut the door behind me and walked forward a few steps. He gestured to the chair opposite him and I took the seat, dreading what he would say.

Neither of us spoke for several long moments. Finally, he said one word. "Why?"

"Why what?" I answered, stalling for time.

He scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me, boy. You know I don't give a rat's ass who you fuck in your personal life. However, I never thought for one minute that you would fuck me and my company."

My mouth opened and closed; words unable to form.

"Paying a prostitute to pose as McAllister...it's surreal, like out of a movie, Carlisle." Though he was angry, there was an underlying sadness to his tone.

I sought to salvage what I could. "Father, I was only trying to buy some time. The real McAllister dropped out at the last minute, and I was going to pull him back into the fold afterward, so I-"

"Went to the nearest intersection and pulled some trash off the street to help you commit fraud?"

My defense mechanism kicked in at the insult. "It wasn't like that. Edward isn't trash." Father's eyebrows raised at that but he remained silent. Hoping he was softening, I added, "I just...didn't want you to be disappointed."

My father heaved a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed tightly. "I appreciate that, but how can I trust you again, Carlisle? I'll never be able to believe anything you say in this office." He opened his eyes and laid his hands flat on my desk, leveling me with his stony gaze. "You're out, son. Jenks will take over your position. I want this office cleared by noon." With that, he rose and headed for the door. Before he was gone, I had to take a last parting shot at the one who betrayed me though.

"You know Gianna fucked him in the hall bathroom?"

He stopped and turned to face me, his hand still on the doorknob. "Yes, I do. And I know you punched her when you found them together. You're lucky she didn't press charges."

"I didn't fucking punch her, Dad. I paid her to keep quiet. She probably punched her god-damned self."

My father smirked and turned away again, and before he shut the door behind him, I heard him mutter under his breath, "Atta girl."

Xxxx

As I was packing the last of my things, there was a knock on the door. "Fuck off, Jenks, it'll be yours soon enough," I bit out.

But it was Gianna who peeked her head in.

"Oh great," I said snidely. "What the fuck do you want, you backstabbing bitch?"

She just smiled and said, "Someone to see you, sir."

Gianna shoved the door open fully and retreated, leaving a big hulking beast of a man filling my doorway.

"Are you Carlisle?" his deep voice boomed.

I hesitated to answer; this man looked angry and like he could break me in half. Not trusting my voice, I nodded.

He squeezed himself through the doorframe and shut the door behind him.

"I don't know if Edward mentioned me," he began. "I'm Emmett, and I want to talk to you about what you did to him."

tbc


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Real life has been kicking my ass, guys. I've had bits and pieces of this chapter for a while, but could not find time to really sit down and complete it. So, I apologize for the wait. I am so grateful for all of the reviews. There will only be one more chapter, perhaps a futuretake. The chapter's about halfway done, but I have a lot going on, so I'm sorry if it takes some time to post. Thank you for continuing on with me on this journey 😊

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 11**

**Emmett POV**

Tonight had been real successful. It was easy to tell whenever I'd had a particularly good night by the way I was walking. If it seemed like I had a rock stuck in my shoe, it really meant there was a big wad of cash lining the bottom, under the insole. After so long on the street, I found that johns weren't above going through your pockets when you're not looking, but they wouldn't go snooping around in somebody's stinking boots. Scum of the Earth, I tell ya.

Anyway, this morning I was walking like there was a fucking boulder in there. I was exhausted and looking forward to crashing in my bed, sleeping until at least 2pm. But it wasn't in the cards.

As soon as I walked into the apartment, I was confronted with Edward looking absolutely manic, pulling his hair in all sorts of directions as he paced back and forth in the living room. I watched him for a few moments, but he didn't acknowledge me, so I spoke.

"Dude, what the hell happened? You're wearing a hole in the carpet."

His head snapped up, his surprised expression genuine, like he really didn't know I was there.

"Oh, Emmett. Wow. What time is it?" he asked, looking to the window, surprised again to see it was dawn

"Six a.m."

Edward stopped short. Gesturing at the carpet, I asked, "How long have you been...doing this?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, dumbfounded.

Now I was worried. "Well, shit, Edward! What the fuck happened to make you pace for hours?"

His shoulders slumped and he looked down to the floor. "Carlisle came back."

Of course this was because of Carlisle. Edward was in love with the man, but couldn't admit it. When shit started getting real, Edward ran away. But that's what Edward does. I mean, he IS a runaway. After all, I found him starving and dirty next to a dumpster the last time he ran away from his problems.

"Like, he came to your corner?" I pressed.

Edward nodded. "Yeah. He was pissed I didn't use the money."

I was definitely upset about it, but didn't think Carlisle would be. Skeptical, I raised an eyebrow. "He's pissed about that?"

"Well, he asked me why I didn't use the money," he conceded.

I crossed my arms. "Hmph. Sounds reasonable. I'm mystified why you haven't used it too."

Edward stepped back defensively. "Emmett, you know why. I didn't finish the job. I destroyed everything. I... I fucked him over."

Couldn't really argue with that, but I tried to make him feel better anyway. "Look, obviously he's not upset. He's not holding a grudge. He didn't have to come find you and insist you use the money. He could have just said 'fuck him,'" I said, using air quotes.

Edward sighed. "Yeah, he could have. But Carlisle's not that kind of guy. I, however, did tell him to fuck off."

Now it was my turn to sigh. "Oh, Edward."

His eyes started to get glassy and he looked away, swallowing hard. "Why am I such an asshole," he whispered.

I took several long steps forward until I was standing in front of him. "You're not an asshole, Eddie. You just don't know what's good for you. You don't know what's staring you in the face."

He didn't like that and glared at me. "And what is allegedly staring me in the face?"

"You love him." Edward looked taken aback and started to protest, but I steamrolled him. "You love him. It's plain as day to me. The way all our conversations revolve around him these days? Your voice gets softer when you talk about him and your eyes get far away. You love him, Edward."

As would be predictable, Edward stormed off to his room, muttering, "This is ridiculous," before slamming his door shut behind him.

That boy needed to listen to reason, but it wasn't going to happen. No, what Edward needed now was a swift boot to the ass, and I would be the one to give it to him.

**Xxxxx**

My roommate was an idiot. And I was determined to clean up his mess for him so he could have a shot at happiness, and not be stuck in this fucked up life like me. So, I quickly stashed my earnings in my room, changed clothes, and googled the address for The Cullen Group, where Edward had told me he was going for the meeting. I knew Carlisle worked there, so hopefully I'd catch him there. I was going to find this guy and hopefully smooth things over between them. While I was on the bus, the beginnings of a plan began to form in my mind. I would have to find out for sure if Carlisle really cared for Edward, but if he did, then I would put my plan in motion.

The office building was tall and kind of intimidating. I rode the elevator up and strode down the hall, looking like a fucking hobo compared to the other well-dressed people in the building as I walked by in my white t-shirt, torn jeans, and combat boots. People gave me a wide berth. Finally, I reached the offices for The Cullen Group. There was a gum chewing blonde with huge tits and a low-cut top sitting behind the front desk. She quickly swallowed her gum and greeted me in a professional voice.

"Good morning, sir. What can I do for you? Do you have an appointment?"

"No appointment," I said gruffly. "I need to see Carlisle Cullen."

Her eyes went wide and she coughed, then a strange grin spread across her pretty face, well, pretty aside from the fading bruise over her nose.

"Sure," she said with a chuckle. "Right this way." She led me two doors down and rapped on the door.

An annoyed voice inside shouted, "Fuck off, Jenks, it'll be yours soon enough."

I raised my eyebrows at the man's obvious anger, but the secretary wasn't scared off and stuck her head in the door.

"Oh great," I heard the man scoff. "What the fuck do you want, you backstabbing bitch?"

My jaw dropped open as the secretary said sweetly, "Someone to see you, sir."

I was shocked that this jerk could possibly be the same Carlisle that Edward spoke so highly of. His anger demeanor didn't compute with the stories I'd heard. It was such a contrast that I thought it would be kind of fun to fuck with him, see how he would react to me playing the bad guy. So, I fixed my brow in a glare and stood up to my full height, puffing out my broad chest. I knew I cut an intimidating figure, though the hot secretary looked about to swoon.

She stepped back as I stepped forward, filling the doorframe. Carlisle was standing behind his desk, but there were boxes all around, almost nothing left on the shelves or the desk, like he was packing up to leave. His anger made a bit more sense to me now, but I was all in. Carlisle had seen me looking scary, so I ran with it.

The man had thick, short blond hair and was tall and slender, but he looked like there was some light muscle beneath his dress shirt. His striking blue eyes stared at me in shock, his mouth slightly open. He set whatever he was holding in the box and straightened up, jaw setting in a show of confidence, but his eyes betrayed his nerves.

"Are you Carlisle?" I barked at him.

He nodded, looking a little more nervous as I squeezed myself through the door and shut it behind me. Looking back at him, his eyes had widened, realizing he was more or less locked into a small room with a very large man.

"I don't know if Edward mentioned me," I began. "I'm Emmett, and I want to talk to you about what you did to him."

Carlisle's nerves were gone in a flash, replaced by indignant anger. "What _I've_ done to _Edward_? You mean, how I tried to get him off the goddamn street? How I gave him the opportunity to help himself, enough money to do it with, and he refused? How I've fallen in lo-" He stopped short there, realizing he'd said more than he intended. He clenched his teeth and looked away, the anger melting into defeat.

Taking pity on the poor man, I approached him, and when I was close enough that he might think I'd punch him, I stuck out my hand instead. He eyed me with suspicion, taking my hand warily, and we shook. Grinning widely in my disarming way, I said, "Alright, you pass."

"Pass?" he asked, bewildered.

"Yup. You passed my test. Just wanted to make sure you actually care about my best friend, that you're not going to break his heart."

He shook his head in disbelief. "How can I break his heart? He doesn't love me back. He's broken mine."

"That's where you're wrong, bro." Carlisle looked at me quizzically so I soldiered on. "Edward is confused and scared. He's in denial about his own sexuality. He thought liking sex with guys was a lucky bonus for the job, but he never even considered butt sex before I introduced him to this life. But I'll tell you what, Carlisle, after that first night with you, he changed. He was kind of moony-eyed, ya know? Something about you was different. He would never have agreed to help you out like that, regardless of the money, if he wasn't drawn to you. He's just not that kind of guy...ya know, a straight up criminal, like you," I teased.

Carlisle huffed and crossed his arms, but he couldn't suppress the slight smile that made its way onto his face. Quick as it came, it was gone again, and he asked, "If Edward liked me so much, why'd he go fuck Gianna then?"

I laughed. "Denial is a powerful thing, bro. He didn't want to admit it to himself, I imagine. But when he came home after you caught them and everything went to hell, the dude was messed up. I don't think he liked sex with her as much as he thought he would, and he lost the one guy who made him happy. Like, happier than I'd ever known him to be."

Carlisle seemed relieved to know Edward shared his feelings, but I could see in his expression that defeat was winning. "Well, that's all great to hear, but what am I supposed to do with that information? He won't see me. He told me to fuck off last night."

"That's where I come in."

I had his full attention now, and I filled him in on my plan to get them back together. It would require a bit of misdirection, but I knew Edward would forgive me in the end.

**Xxxxx**

"Edward!" I shouted, rapping hard on his bedroom door. I worried how he would react after our conversation earlier. Would he even open the door? "Pull yourself together, bro. I got a job for you. You're working that ass tonight."

There were several long moments before I heard him shuffling to the door and when he opened it, he looked like hell. His hair was all over the place, his eyes red-rimmed from crying, his ratty pajamas rumpled. "Emm, I really don't feel like working tonight," he monotoned, his face morose.

"Too bad, brother. I already promised this guy I had the perfect ass for him. High profile dude, finance or something. Fancy hotel, lots of dough," I said, rubbing my fingers together. "And, ya know, since you didn't take that 8k, we're kind of in a tight spot." He sighed and made a face. "I know, sorry to bring it up, but rent is coming up and you haven't been working that whole time you were with...well, you know."

He nodded solemnly. I knew I was convincing him, appealing to his sense of duty. It was low of me, but what I was doing wasn't what he thought it was. He'd forgive me eventually.

"Why aren't you doing it if this guy is such hot shit?" he huffed.

I shrugged. "I would, but I'm not his type. He asked me if I knew anybody with a swimmer's bod and red hair. Turns out I do."

He heaved a resigned sigh. "Alright, but only cuz I feel bad I haven't been pulling my weight."

I clapped him on the shoulder and said jovially, "That's the spirit! Now go get cleaned up. You fucking stink."

**Xxxxx**

Before long, we were on our way to the hotel. We'd taken a bus most of the way and now we were walking the last couple of blocks. Edward was glancing around suspiciously, becoming anxious. That's why I had come with him. Edward thought I was coming with him so I could point out the john to him when we got there. But really, I was afraid he wouldn't go, that he'd stay out all night wandering around and just tell me he did it when he got back in the morning. Not that he would lie like that, cuz it would be obvious he didn't do it since he'd have no money.

Anyway, Edward's anxiety was getting worse as we neared the next intersection, his breathing coming more quickly. We rounded the corner and there was the hotel. Edward stopped and closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing. He looked like he might have a coronary.

I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly. "Dude, you okay?"

"This is the hotel Carlisle was staying at," he said once he calmed his breaths.

"Oh, really?" I played dumb. " Damn, sorry about that."

He shrugged, as though he could shrug away his anxious feelings. "At least I know the layout," he deadpanned.

"There ya go." I slapped him on the back playfully, then looked around the front of the hotel, and up and down the street. "Alright, I don't see him out here, but we're a couple minutes late. It's okay though, he told me he'd be in the penthouse."

Edward blanched, looking a little sick. "Jesus, that's the same fucking room even."

Trying to seem sympathetic, I said, "Sorry, bruh. But you better get going, he's waiting for you."

I shoved him not so gently toward the door and he grimaced at me before making his way inside.

"Think of the green, bro!" I called after him.

God, I hoped this worked. If it didn't, I might've just lost my best friend. Could he forgive me for setting him up to face Carlisle again? Ah well, it was in Carlisle's hands now.

**Tbc. Review?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Lost Boy**

**Chapter 12**

**Edward POV**

Trepidation filled me as I stepped into the elevator of the hotel. I wasn't worried so much about letting some rich guy fuck me. Although I didn't really want to, it's not like I wasn't used to that. I could fake it till I make it. It was more about the open wound that was Carlisle. How could I ignore the memories I made with him in that very same bedroom, the man I deeply regretted pushing out of my life. I wasn't sure if I should thank Emmett or kill him for booking me a job so soon. I settled on somewhere in between...we did need the money after all.

The elevator arrived quicker than I was ready for, but I put on my confident persona and stepped into the short hall. The penthouse was the only room on the top level, and the door was propped slightly ajar. I held my breath as I mustered the will to knock. When I did, a voice inside shouted for me to come in.

I entered quietly, closing the door behind me hard enough so the john could hear I was inside. The surroundings were just the same as when I was here with Carlisle, of course, so I was suddenly awash with memories of our time together here. I could feel anxiety begin to take hold, and I really wasn't sure I could go through with this guy when all I could think of was Carlisle in this space.

"I'll just be a minute," the low-pitched voice called, which reminded me further that I was not with Carlisle. I worried my lip as I waited, looking down at the floor, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves.

"You're late," the john said, his voice much closer than I expected. Jerking my head up, I looked toward the sound. The man leaning against the bedroom doorway, dressed in khakis and a white shirt that was unbuttoned and revealing his chest, was the very one I'd been thinking about.

Carlisle grinned at my expression. "Surprised?"

I nodded dumbly, until I was gripped by a sudden pang of anger and realization. "Fucking Emmett!"

Carlisle laughed as he walked toward me. "Yes, your friend paid me a little visit at my office. Lucky he came when he did, because I had one foot out the door. Father found out what I'd done and fired me."

Guilt crashed through me. Not only had I not finished the job, not only had I betrayed Carlisle's trust and hurt his heart, but now he was also out of a job? "Oh my god, how?" I choked out.

"Gianna."

Oh fuck. When I had stormed out of the bathroom, the door had hit her in the face. She'd been listening; she knew the whole truth. "I'm so sorry."

Carlisle just shrugged like it didn't matter. "It's fine. I'm better off without that soul sucking job. In fact, I'm grateful to be out from under my father's thumb." He used his hip to push off of the doorframe and started walking toward me. "Anyway, your friend came to find out my intentions toward you. I told him how much I truly care for you, and Emmett arranged for this little…meeting. He knew you wouldn't agree to see me, but he wanted me to have a chance to tell you how I feel."

He waited for me to speak, but I was lost for words, so Carlisle continued, taking my hands in his. "I know being with a man is scary to you, but I hope you'll reconsider being with me, for me. Gender notwithstanding. Being gay is not such an awful thing, love is love is love, right?" He chuckled then. "I mean, you don't hate anal, so you're more than halfway there."

I huffed at that and snatched my hands away, crossing my arms around my middle. "I'm not gay, Carlisle."

"As long as you're gay for me, I don't care what you want to call yourself."

We stared at each other for several long moments. His eyes were soft and he looked at me with concern, brushing my cheek gently with his fingers. "What are you so scared of, Edward?"

I leaned into his touch unconsciously and he smiled slightly before letting his hand fall back to his side. What was I so scared of? I wasn't scared, but I knew what I didn't want to happen. I didn't want to end up subservient to him, like I owed him something that I was repaying by being with him. I felt like I was less than Carlisle, like I didn't deserve him. Like he had more power and status in our relationship, money to throw around. And what the fuck was I? Some runaway street kid. What the hell did he want in me?

Carlisle gaped at me, making me realize I'd said those last bits out loud.

"I want you because you're Edward," he said, gripping my upper arms with some force. "The shitty hand life dealt you doesn't matter to me. You aren't just some runaway street kid to me. You're a kind-hearted, adventurous, ambitious, drop dead gorgeous man, and I want you in my life. Please say you want me too."

In that moment, my heart leapt into my throat and I knew. I did want him. I didn't want to let him go again. The last few days had been the worst of my life. I missed him. I wanted to be with Carlisle. I could feel my eyes beginning to prick with tears and I swallowed hard to keep them from falling.

He saw it on my face before I said it. "I do want to be with you, Carlisle. I really do." Cupping the sides of my face, he drew me toward him and we kissed until we were breathless. When we came up for air, I pushed him away a little and he met my firm, penetrating gaze.

"There is one thing though."

He raised an eyebrow and looked a little worried.

"I don't want to always be on the bottom. If we're going to try being together, it's going to be an equal partnership. No one is the man or woman. We're the same. I want to fuck just as much as I want to be fucked."

A look of relief came over Carlisle and he pulled me flush against his body and leaned in to whisper next to my ear. "Oh, I want you to fuck me. I don't care if you always want to top. I just want to be with you, Edward, any way you want me to be."

His warm breath against my neck was arousing me. My heart sped up as I struggled to control the urge to jump him. I'd never considered that Carlisle would want that, and I had never fucked another man. The very idea of it had me rock solid, and I rubbed myself against Carlisle's equally burgeoning bulge. "I can fuck you whenever I want?"

He grinned against my skin and drew back to look in my eyes, his lust projecting itself through his whole demeanor. "Right now would be a great start."

I was on him the next moment, sliding my hands into the open sides of his shirt, splaying them on his back and drawing him closer, ravaging his mouth, kissing him more deeply than I'd kissed anyone before. I felt ravenous, like I couldn't get enough. Carlisle responded in kind, and it wasn't long until we had backed into the room toward the bed, fumbling our way onto it as we shed our clothes in the process. When we were finally naked and I was over him on the bed, I was both excited to be inside him and nervous I would do it wrong, that I'd hurt him. I looked into his eyes and admitted, "I've never done this before."

Carlisle smiled. "It's okay, you know what to do. I trust you."

Although I'd never taken a man before, I had been in his position more times than I could remember at this point. I drew confidence from my experience as the receiver, knowing deep down I could give him that pleasure. Gazing down at him now, his bright blue eyes were shining with want, the lids hooded in his lust, and I couldn't believe how lucky I was that he not only wanted to be with me, but was so patient while I was being such a fool.

"Stop staring and kiss me."

When our tongues touched, a rush went through me like I'd never felt before. With my no kissing rule, it had been a very long time since I'd kissed anyone quite like this, with this level of desire and need. My first kisses with Carlisle were hot, but it was different now. Now, I felt like I was powerful, like he wanted me to take charge. The whimpers of longing he made while my tongue plundered his mouth told me as much, and I pressed my body against his, our hearts beating against our chests and our needy cocks grinding together. He broke away and moaned loudly, and I began to press wet kisses down his neck and chest, working my way down to where he needed me most. Carlisle arched into my touch, his body writhing with anticipation.

I stared at that glistening cock, thinking how much I wanted it in my mouth. He gazed at me with hooded eyes, one hand clutching the pillow behind his head and the other fisting in the bedsheets. He watched as I admired him, leaking with need. He drew his lip into his teeth and he looked so damn sexy waiting to be taken, I didn't waste any more time swallowing him down. His cry of pleasure could probably be heard three floors down, but it only emboldened me. I worked over his straining cock a few times, and I knew he was close already when his balls tightened up and his groans intensified. I decided to let him finish; that way when I fucked him, it would last. He came hard in my mouth and I relished every drop of his strangely sweet emission.

Sluggishly, he pushed at my head when he got too sensitive to stand it any longer. I let his limp cock fall from my lips, but I didn't stop, I just placed open mouthed kisses all over his ball sack, making new whimpers and groans fall from his lips. Gripping his thighs in my hands, I spread his legs wider so I could access all of him, and he eagerly shoved the other pillow under his ass to make it even easier. His entrance quivered under my gaze, anticipating what I might do. Leaning in, I smelled his unique essence and ran my tongue down the cleft of his ass, from spine to taint. Carlisle cried out loudly, "Yes! Please, Edward."

I was happy to oblige, diving in nose first, nudging at his hole before my tongue laved over it repeatedly, making Carlisle writhe and moan, his cock standing proudly once more. I reached up and gave it a few pumps as I snuck a finger inside him, my tongue making inserting it easier. He didn't even tense, just moaned some more, which made me wonder if he played with himself, and if maybe he preferred sex this way, with someone else in control of what happened to his body.

A second finger also went in easily enough, and Carlisle pressed down against them, trying to let me reach as far inside him as possible. I pumped and scissored my fingers, getting him ready for me, brushing his prostate with every few strokes, his body shivering and quaking with my ministrations. The third finger made him hiss and tense up a little, but he was soon pushing back against me again, begging me, "Please, Edward, I'm ready. I need you inside me."

My cock throbbed at the thought of sinking into his hot, tight tunnel, and I withdrew my fingers from him and reached for the bottle of lube and condoms on the bedspread.

"Wait," Carlisle said when I went to tear open the package. "You've never been with any of those men without a condom, have you?"

I knew where this was going, and god, I wanted to feel him skin to skin too. I wanted to feel his silken walls caress me and I wanted to shoot my seed deep inside him and watch it trickle out afterward. But it was too risky. "Let me get tested again before we do that. God, you have no idea how much I want to feel you like that, but I did have unprotected sex very recently."

Carlisle made a face and waved at the condom. "She's a trollop. Better put it on."

We chuckled as I rolled on the condom, me feeling rather relieved he felt he could joke about Gianna. All jokes ceased as I poured the lube over myself and him, one hand working the lube over and inside his entrance and the other coating my cock and squeezing the base to stave off cumming too soon. Our eyes met as I lined my cock up by feel alone, the tip slipping inside him. His eyes closed and his back arched as I pushed inside slowly, stretching him wide and filling him until the root of my cock touched the edges of his opening.

I stilled, both of us panting heavily, waiting for him to give me a signal that he was ready for me to move. Not that I could move yet anyway; if I did, I wouldn't last and the whole thing would be over before it even started. As I concentrated on willing my orgasm away, Carlisle's body adjusted, and soon he was running his hands down my back to grip my ass, pushing his hips up against mine. This was my cue, and I moved, pulling out slowly and pushing in gently experimentally.

"Please, just fuck me," he moaned, digging his nails into my cheeks. My body responded before my mind could catch up, and it surged ahead, finding a rapid rhythm, our bodies slapping together as we tried to kiss sloppily between thrusts. Unconsciously, my body was using all of its strength and speed, and my hips pistoned into him, making him moan and beg for more. My next thrust brushed his prostate and his keening cry of pleasure went straight to my dick. I felt my balls begin to tingle as the wet head of his cock brushed against the hairs on my belly, and I knew I wouldn't last long. Making sure every thrust hit his spot, I let my orgasm begin to unravel. As it coursed through my body, I grabbed his straining, neglected cock and pumped it twice. That was all it took for him to erupt, cries falling from his lips as his walls gripped my cock tightly. His orgasm drew out my own, my cries joining his as his body milked me of my seed.

Spent, I collapsed on top of him and we held each other tightly as we gasped for breath and came down from the high we'd just experienced together. All of the feelings of contentment and acceptance that I'd felt on the night Carlisle fucked me came rushing back, but this time, those feelings were magnified a hundred times. I felt a warm glow spread through my body, like someone turned on all the lights inside me and I shone brightly. All too soon, my cock softened and I slipped myself out of him, stripping off the condom and discarding it in the bedside wastebasket. I grabbed my t-shirt and cleaned us up with it, tossing it off the bed to deal with later. We burrowed our naked bodies under the comforter, our arms wound around each other and our legs entwined. I buried my face in his neck and listened as his breathing evened out, falling asleep from our exertion.

Pressing my lips to his collarbone, I knew this was where I wanted to be. With that thought in my mind, I fell asleep, ready to start the rest of my life when daybreak came.

The End

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me and waiting patiently for updates. As of now, I don't think I will be doing any future-takes for this story. There's always a chance though - I've been known to come back after years-long absences, so if you want more, put this story on alert.

That said, I HAVE decided to complete an old Carlisle/Edward fic that I left unfinished several years ago. This fic inspired me to complete it, so if you want more C/E, come read that one. I warn you, it's a bit filthy and angsty. It's called Cast Aside, and will be updating in the next few days.

Thank you all, lovelies, for your reviews, favorites, alerts and silent views. You don't know how much it means to me! xx


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